Name: Whitney Walkowski
Year in Program: 6th year
Department: Cell Biology and Anatomy/ Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Mentor: Hamilton Farris
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Education: B.S. Loyola University New Orleans M.S. Southeastern Louisiana University
Past Research Experience:
Neuroendocrine Modulation of Spawning Behavior in a Mouthbrooding Cichlid (A. burtoni)
Louisiana State University (2016)
PI: Karen Maruska
Environmental and Hormonal Factors That Affect Calling Behavior in Male Pig Frogs (L. grylio)
Southeastern Louisiana University (2015)- Thesis Research
PI: Brian I. Crother
A comparison of L. sevosus eDNA from Sites of Known Densities
Southeastern Louisiana University (2014)
Collaborators: Erica Rottman, John Tupy, Dr. Brian Crother
PI: Dr. Kyle Piller
Publications:
Leslie CE, Walkowski WG*, Rosencrans R, Gordon WC, Bazan NG, Ryan MJ, Farris HE. (2021) Retinal sensitivity in reproductive female túngara frogs: a role for estrogenic modulation. Integrative and Comparative Biology: Invited Paper: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab032 *Co-First Authorship
Walkowski WG. (2020) Lithobates grylio (Pig Frog) Habitat Use. Natural History Note. Herpetological Review 51(3) 565-566.
Leslie CE, Rosencrans RF, Walkowski WG, Gordon WC, Bazan NG , Ryan MJ, Farris HE. (2020) Reproductive State Modulates Retinal Sensitivity to Light in Female Túngara Frogs. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13(293):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00293
Walkowski WG, Crother BI, Valverde RA. (2019) Testosterone and Corticosterone Profiles and Body Condition of Calling and Non-Calling Lithobates grylio. Copeia, 107(3):509-516.
https://doi.org/10.1643/CP-18-134
Rosencrans RF, Leslie CE, Perkins KA, Walkowski WG, Gordon WC, Richards-Zawacki CL, Bazan NG, Farris HE. (2018) Quantifying the relationship between optical anatomy and retinal physiological sensitivity: A comparative approach. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24531
Current Research Interest: I am interested in how animal physiology impacts behaviors associated with mate choice and how this has impacted the evolution of species.
Current Medical Interest: I am interested in how hormone deficits can shift perceptive visual abilities and how targeted therapies could counter this phenomenon.
Career Goal: Tenured Professor at a University
What makes you unique? I study frogs!