my Research

Bats:

Publications:

Brown, Bridget & Leffer, Lauren & Valverde, Yesenia & Toshkova, Nia & Nystrom, Jessica & Page, Rachel & Carter, Gerald. (2020). Do bats use guano and urine stains to find new roosts? Tests with three group-living bats. Royal Society Open Science. 7. 201055. 10.1098/rsos.201055.

My previous research was on behavioral ecology and social cooperation in bats. My main project was looking at first contact introductions between unfamiliar vampire bats in order to determine if future social bonds and social networks can be predicted. I also assisted on a study to determine if olfactory cues help determine roost selection in native Ohio bats along with vampire bats in Panama. My work was under the advisement of Dr. Gerald Carter, Assistant Professor in the Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology department at The Ohio State University.

Find out more about the lab and research at https://socialbat.org/

Fish:

My previous lab work had me completing extensive field work with the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from waste water treatment facilities into native fish and the environment in the Scioto River and Olentangy River watersheds for the CDC. I also conducted other field work with native wild birds, ducks and various animals in the agricultural industry.

electro-fishing sampling boat

Me with a longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) 

waste water treatment outflow on the scioto river, oh

Field work included the sampling of fish - via electro-fishing shock boat, long-lining, seine fishing, etc. - species identification, data collection, cloacal swabbing and dissections among other tasks.

Lab work included culturing bacterial growth, isolating and identifying species and performing PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) among others.