Biography

I'm a PhD student in the Comparative Cognition Lab, where I study cephalopod behaviour through integrative research on camouflage and cognition. Cephalopods (marine invertebrates including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish) evolved sophisticated nervous systems and complex cognition independently from vertebrates. I use computational approaches to analyse dynamic skin patterning both as an adaptive biological system in its own right and as a measurable readout of how cephalopods perceive and interpret their environment and internal states. This framework provides a tractable system for investigating how animals process information and generate adaptive behaviour in radically different nervous systems from our own. My research challenges assumptions about the origins of behavioural complexity, expands dialogue about who and what we consider “intelligent,” and highlights the cognitive complexity of marine life to inform scientific and public perspectives on animal welfare and ocean stewardship.

Previous Education

University of Delaware Marine Science 2023

Links

https://willalane.com