Collaborative for Animal Behavior

We live in a time of unprecedented environmental change. Increases in noise and light pollution are reorganizing communities by interfering with the perception of environmental time-cues, habitat features, and auditory and visual signals. Escalating temperatures are causing harmful effects on cognition, health, and survival. Emerging pathogens change the ways we, among other animals, behave. Understanding how animals perceive and behaviorally respond to environmental change is critical as the Anthropocene reshapes the ecological and evolutionary landscapes animals, including humans, occupy. Our center addresses this foundational challenge of understanding how animals collectively construct their perception and behaviorally respond to a changing world by making fundamental advances within our understanding of animal behavior. Founded in 2024, the Collaborative for Animal Behavior (CoLAB) is a cross-disciplinary community of scholars united by a shared mission: to advance the scientific understanding of animal behavior in a rapidly changing world. By bridging departmental and institutional boundaries across the University of Tennessee, CoLAB fosters innovative, collaborative research aimed at positioning UT Knoxville as a national and global leader in its field. In addition to driving scientific discovery, we are deeply committed to excellence in mentorship and education, supporting postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates as they develop into the next generation of animal behaviorists.

Collaborative for Animal Behavior