Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science
University of Manitoba
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Byron N Van Nest, PhD
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Appointments & Affiliations
Research Information
Keywords
honey bees, neuroethology, learning and memory, neural circuits, chronobiology, agent-based modelling, food-anticipatory activity, electrophysiology, pollination ecology
Summary
The Van Nest Lab conducts research in both invertebrate neuroethology and behavioural ecology. We study invertebrate species due to their smaller nervous systems. Not only is it easier to discover neural circuits in smaller brains, but smaller brains are also more computationally tractable. The fundamental neurobiology we learn from insects guides us in our pursuit to understand brain function in general, including in human brains.
Expanded Summary
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Some insects, such as the Hymenopterans (bees, ants, and wasps), are capable of performing surprisingly complex behaviours: counting, communicating, maintaining multiple spatiotemporal memories, etc. This allows plenty of opportunity to investigate the neural mechanisms that produce complex behaviours. Some of the ongoing projects in our lab include:
Understanding honey bees’ perception and interpretation of modulated electric fields associated with the foraging recruitment dance language.
Using pharmacology and mathematical modelling of learning and memory to tease apart which honey bee brain regions learn different sensory modalities.
Investigating how urbanization affects yellowjacket wasp behaviour and correlations of serotonin and aggression in different wasp brain regions.
Understanding honey bee chemosensory systems and how canola plants use specific phytochemicals to take advantage of preferred pollinators.
Developing the Madagascar hissing cockroach as a new neuroethological model species.
Understanding honey bees’ perception and interpretation of modulated electric fields associated with the foraging recruitment dance language.
Using pharmacology and mathematical modelling of learning and memory to tease apart which honey bee brain regions learn different sensory modalities.
Investigating how urbanization affects yellowjacket wasp behaviour and correlations of serotonin and aggression in different wasp brain regions.
Understanding honey bee chemosensory systems and how canola plants use specific phytochemicals to take advantage of preferred pollinators.
Developing the Madagascar hissing cockroach as a new neuroethological model species.
Publications
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4650-6264
Contact Information
224 Biological Sciences Bldg
Winnipeg
Manitoba
R3M 0P7
204-474-7407
byron.vannest@umanitoba.ca
Other Websites
https://www.vannestlab.com/