I was born in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). In my early career, I worked as an animal health technician, research assistant, and microinjectionist for 15 years. I later obtained my B.Sc. in biology (major in animal physiology) and M.Sc. in neurosciences, both at Laval University (Québec City, QC, Canada). My master’s work included creating, analyzing, and treating cellular and animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I pursued my Ph.D. in ecology and neurobiology at McGill University (Montréal, QC, Canada), where I studied the ecological, psychological and neurobiological correlates of innovation in wild birds. I am now based at the Rockefeller University Field Research Center in the beautiful Hudson Valley. My current research aims at understanding the intra- and inter-specific variation of a variety of cognitive skills in wild birds by employing fieldwork, wet lab, and omics methods.
All photos on this website are the property of Mélanie Couture. Mélanie is a research assistant in the lab of Prof. Erich Jarvis. She is working with me on my current research projects.