Kavli ScholarJennifer Merritt

Jennifer Merritt studies how genetic variation shapes instinctive behaviors—from dodging danger to nurturing young—revealing the evolutionary roots of emotion and complexity across species. Dr. Merritt is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Andrés Bendesky at the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind and the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University. She also holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior from Emory University, where she was advised by Dr. Donna Maney.

During her Ph.D., Dr. Merritt identified a gene in a large chromosomal rearrangement that contributes to the evolution of territorial defense in a backyard songbird, the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). Currently, in the lab of Dr. Bendesky, she is interested in how the adrenal gland – a major source of hormones – has shaped the behavior of Peromyscus mice. She is uncovering the genetic basis of adrenal hormones, as well as the molecular mechanisms by which these genes participate in the control of exploratory and parental behaviors, showcasing how evolutionary comparisons can be used to discover novel biology, and how evolution of cells outside the brain can contribute to the evolution of behavior.

During her graduate studies at Emory, Dr. Merritt was recognized with the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, the Stuart Zola Graduate Fellowship in Neuroscience and the Aubrey Gorbman Award for excellence in research. As a postdoc, she was the recipient of the Simons Society of Fellows Junior Fellowship and the W.C. Young Award from the Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.