Eliot Brenowitz, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology and Zoology

Degree From: Cornell
Interests: Animal Behavior, Neuroethology, Neuroendocrinology, Animal Communication

Contact

Office Guthrie 331
Hours by appointment
Phone (206) 543-8534
E-mail eliotb@uw.edu
Website http://www.biology.washington.edu/index.html?navID=42&parecID=26

Advising

Do I accept and train new psychology graduate students in general?
Yes
Animal Behavior

Research

My research involves the integration between mechanism and function in animal behavior, with an emphasis on acoustic communication in birds and frogs. The principal current focus is on the song control system in the brains of songbirds. I emphasize a comparative, evolutionary approach to this system, and combine behavioral studies in the field with laboratory techniques in neuroendocrinology, neuroanatomy, moleclular biology, and signal analysis. I am currently pursuing two major topics of study in the song system. One concerns the physiological and molecular mechanisms and behavioral consequences of seasonal plasticity observed in the morphology of song regions of the brain. The second stems from the observation that neurons in song control nuclei receive input from auditory regions, and respond selectively to the presentation of conspecific song. I am investigating the role of song nuclei in the behavioral recognition of conspecific song in the contexts of mate choice and territorial defense.

Research Publications

  • Singh, T.D., Heinrich, J., Wissman, A.M., Brenowitz, E.A., Nordeen, E.J., and Nordeen, K.W. 2003. Seasonal regulation of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA in the adult canary song system. Journal of Neurobiology 54:593-603.
  • Reeves, B.J., Beecher, M.D., and Brenowitz, E.A. 2003. Seasonal changes in avian song control circuits do not cause seasonal changes in song discrimination in song sparrows. Journal of Neurobiology 57:119-129.
  • Tramontin, A.D., Wingfield, J.C., and Brenowitz, E.A. 2003. Androgens and estrogens induce seasonal-like growth of song nuclei in the adult songbird brain. Journal of Neurobiology 57:130-140.
  • Brenowitz, E. 2002. Birdsong: integrating physics, physiology, and behavior. Journal of Comparative Physiology 188:827-828.
  • Schlinger, B.A. and Brenowitz, E.A. 2002. Neural and hormonal control of birdsong. In: Donald Pfaff (Ed.), Hormones, Brain, and Behavior, vol. 2, pp. 799-839. Academic Press.
  • Brenowitz, E.A. and Lent, K. 2002. Act locally and think globally: intracerebral testosterone implants induce seasonal-like growth of adult avian song control circuits. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99:12421-12426.
  • Tramontin, A.D., Perfito, N., Wingfield, J.C., and Brenowitz, E.A. 2001. Seasonal growth of song control nuclei precedes seasonal reproductive development in wild adult song sparrows. General and Comparative Endocrinology 122:1-9.
  • Brenowitz, E.A. and Lent, K. 2001. Afferent input is necessary for seasonal growth and maintenance of adult avian song control circuits. Journal of Neuroscience 21:2320-2329.
  • Hartman, V.N., Miller, M.A., Clayton, D.F., Liu, W-C., Kroodsma, D.E., and Brenowitz, E.A. 2001. Testosterone regulates alpha-synuclein mRNA in the avian song system. NeuroReport 12:943-946.
  • Tramontin, A.D. and Brenowitz, E.A. 2000. Seasonal plasticity in adult brains. Invited submission to Trends in Neuroscience 23:251-258.
  • Burt, J., Lent, K., Beecher, M.D., Brenowitz, E.A. 2000. Lesions of the anterior forebrain pathway in female canaries affect song perception. Journal of Neurobiology 42:1-13.
  • Tramontin, A.D., Hartman, V.N., and Brenowitz, E.A. 2000. Seasonal cues induce rapid and sequential growth in adult avian song control circuits. Journal of Neuroscience 20:854-861.
  • Tramontin, A.D., Wingfield, J.C., and Brenowitz, E.A. 1999. Contributions of social cues and photoperiod to seasonal plasticity in the adult avian song control system. Journal of Neuroscience 19:476-483.
  • Brenowitz, E.A. and Rose, G.J. 1999. Female choice and male calling plasticity in the Pacific treefrog. Animal Behaviour 57:1337-1342.
  • Tramontin, A.D. and Brenowitz, E.A. 1999. A field study of seasonal neuronal incorporation into the song control system of a songbird that lacks adult song learning. Journal of Neurobiology 40:316-326..
  • Searcy, W. and Brenowitz, E. 1988. Sexual differences in species recognition of avian song. Nature 332:152-154.
  • Tramontin, A.D., Smith, G.T., Breuner, C.W., and Brenowitz, E.A. 1998. Seasonal plasticity and sexual dimorphism in the avian song control system: stereological measurement of neuron density and number. Journal of Comparative Neurology 396:186-192.
  • Brenowitz, E. 1997. Comparative approaches to study of the avian song control system. Journal of Neurobiology 33:517-531.
  • Brenowitz, E., Margoliash, D., and Nordeen, K.W. 1997. An introduction to birdsong and the avian song system. Journal of Neurobiology 33:495-500.
  • Smith, G.T., Brenowitz, E.A., and Wingfield, J.C. 1997. Roles of photoperiod and testosterone in seasonal plasticity of the avian song control system. J. Neurobiology 32:426-442.
  • Smith, G.T., Brenowitz, E.A., and Wingfield, J.C. 1997. Seasonal changes in testosterone, neural attributes of song control nuclei, and song structure in wild songbirds. Journal of Neuroscience 17:6001-6010.
  • Brenowitz, E., Lent, K., and Kroodsma, D. 1995. Brain space for learned song in birds develops independently of song learning. Journal of Neuroscience 15:6281-6286.
  • Brenowitz, E. and Rose, G. 1994. Behavioral plasticity mediates aggression in choruses of the Pacific treefrog. Animal Behaviour 47:633-641.
  • Brenowitz, E. 1991. Altered perception of species-specific song by female birds after lesions of a forebrain nucleus. Science 251:303-305.
  • Brenowitz, E., Kroodsma, D., Nalls, B., and Wingfield, J. 1991. Seasonal changes in avian song control nuclei without seasonal changes in song repertoires. Journal of Neuroscience 11:1367-1374.

Research Support

 

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