Prof. Jesse Goldberg, neurobiology and behavior, studies the learning process that is responsible for this behavior in songbirds in order to better understand how motor learning occurs in humans.

Prof. Carl Hopkins researches Mormyrid fish, which are known as weakly electric fish because they produce small electric currents and use electric fields for communication and location purposes.  His specific field of study is neuroethology  — which is a branch of neurobiology and behavior that emphasizes comparative methods. The fish’s electric system gave scientists comparative insight into understanding the hearing system of other animals.