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With a dedicated team of research scientists, graduate
and undergraduate students, our lab provides an ideal place to advance
science, learn, and make new friends!
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Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience;
Psychology Department Chair;
Research Scientist in Reproductive Sciences
Curriculum vitae
email Dr. Lee
I began doing research in elementary school by sharpening popsicle sticks to dissect worms and the organs that came from chickens my mother prepared for dinner. Fortunately, when I got to high school I had the opportunity to develop my own research project, using real tools, and I began a lifetime of interest in how events early in life can influence, brain, physiology and behavior throughout life. In that very first experiment I examined the effect of a “healthy” diet and an “unhealthy” diet during prenatal and early postnatal life on growth and behavior of rats.
After college I spent 3 years working in the testing laboratory of a pharmaceutical company, and soon realized that the most interesting work was designing experiments and analyzing results. I would need to return to school if I wanted to participate more in that work. My graduate research returned to the question of rat development, specifically what benefit rat pups gain from consuming the feces of their mothers after they begin to eat solid food. (Answer: Mom’s feces contains lots of bile acids that pups do not yet produce. Bile acids help digest dietary fat and is necessary for formation of normal myelin and maturation of CNS. Lack of normal fat deposition results in slowed behavioral development). By the time I completed my PhD I had become particularly interested in the role of the environment on development and particularly on reproduction.
I spent over 10 years examining the effects of seasonal photoperiod (and temperature) on meadow vole development, maternal and paternal behavior, and a variety of related questions. I also spent about the same length of time exploring the role of seasonal cues on control of annual cycles of hibernation, reproduction, fat deposition and circadian behavior in golden-mantled ground squirrels. Along the way I learned to collect ground squirrels in the field, collected and studied annual rhythms of flying squirrels and European hamsters. I suppose I developed a side “hobby” of figuring out how to get wild rodents to live happily in a lab environment. Happily means they were able to breed well and live long healthy lives.
This skill has been tested maximally with the research that began in 1991 examining the environmental control, development and interaction with reproduction of circadian rhythms in the S. American degu. We have dramatically improved the husbandry, surgical procedures, breeding practices and developed appropriate drug usage in that time, as well as generating a large body of data on circadian control mechanisms. You can read more about this ongoing research in other sections of the website.
Finally, as a fun sabbatical project, I began collaborating with colleagues in the medical school by developing a behavioral ethogram of sheep that were exposed to prenatal androgens. This little project has grown into a massive study of the life history of animals that were exposed prenatally to one of three gonadal steroid during a period of development critical for the shift from female physiology/behavior to male. Sheep are raised in a complex social environment with many social relationships. We are studying how adult behavior emerges as an interaction of the prenatal biological manipulation and the postnatal social interactions.
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Research Scientist
Lee Lab Executive Manager
Curriculum vitae
email Dr. Peckham
I graduated from Ashland University with a BS in Biology. I became interested in research while an undergraduate and decided to attend graduate school right after college. I received my Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan in 2005. I investigated sex differences in morphine antinociception under the mentorship of Dr. John Traynor. After graduating, I did a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Jill Becker at UM, studying the rapid effects of estradiol in the rat. I am the new Lee Lab executive manager/Assistant Research Scientist and will be overseeing projects in both rodent and sheep research. I really enjoy working with undergraduates and look forward to working with students in the Lee lab. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband and son and going out with friends. I like playing softball, volleyball and ‘nerd games’ like Settlers of Catan.
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Graduate Student
email Megan
I graduated from Grinnell College with a B.A. in Neuroscience and the intention to study the neurobiology of emotion. Now I spend my days daydreaming about body-clocks, examining brain slices, and humiliating pubescent rodents. Perhaps this will earn me a PhD.
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Graduate Student
email Jamie
I graduated from Bowling Green with a B.S. in neuroscience
and studied circadian rhythms in transgenic mice. I presently study circadian
and homeostatic influences on sleep in degus. My interests include spending
time with family and friends as well as dancing and singing around lab
late at night!
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Graduate Student
Curriculum vitae
email Eila
While working on the sheep project here at U of M, I received
a BS in Biopsychology and a MS in Resource Ecology Management
and Conservation Biology. My research interests include, but
certainly aren't limited to,
the interaction between hormones and social environment and
their effects on female reproduction. After five years with
the sheep I am moving on
to a PhD. to study wild Gelada in the mountains of Ethiopia.
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Lab and Rodent Project Manager
email Ana
I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 with
a Bachelor of Science and am currently developing my future
plans. I enjoy gardening, reading, cycling, rock climbing,
traveling, shopping and fishing.
I like dark chocolate, philosophy classes, bubble tea, mango
lassis, roller coasters and pets.
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Sheep Project Manager
email Alyse
I have worked on the Sheep Project for the past two years
and during my time here I wrote a senior thesis about the development of
rank in sheep exposed to androgens prenatally. I am now the current
Project Manager and I'm considering graduate school in the future.
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Senior Thesis Student
email Andrea
I have had the pleasure of working in the Lee Lab since Summer 2008.
I am currently working on my senior thesis involving melatonin rhythms during puberty.
After graduation, I hope to pursue a degree in Public Health. I enjoy biking, cooking,
service-learning, music, movies and other shananagans.
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Senior Thesis Student
email David
I am currently a student of Neuroscience and Art History at Michigan.
I am looking forward to an exciting year studying clock gene expressions. After graduation,
I hope to attend medical school and pursue a career in medicine and research. When I am
not bugging everyone in the lab, I enjoy doing the same to my friends and family.
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Research Scientist
Former Lee Lab Executive Manager
Curriculum vitae
email Dr. Mahoney
I attended Smith College and graduated from Bates College
with a BA in Biology. I worked as a research technician
at Harvard Medical School for 2 years before returning to graduate
School to get my dual Ph.D. in Zoology and Ecology, Evolutionary
Biology, and
Behavior at Michigan State University. At the University of
Michigan, I have completed post-doctoral training in the
Reproductive Sciences Program and the Toxicology Training Program.
I was the Lee Lab executive Lab Manager for several years,
and I oversaw projects in both the rodent research
and the sheep research. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the
Vetrinary Biosciences program at the University of Illinois,
but I'm still actively involved in both projects.
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Former Sheep Project Manager
Curriculum vitae
email Vince
I am Bio-Psych graduate who was a former
Project Manager for the sheep project. I am currently a med
student at the University of Michigan and I still help out with
research experiments.
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Graduate Student
Curriculum vitae
email Blair
Prior to entering the field of Neuroscience at the University
of Michigan I was a classically trained pianist and artist. In the laboratory
I focus my studies on the interactions between circadian rhythms and attention.
When I'm not at the lab I can most often be found at my gym where I crossfit
and olympic weightlift.
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Senior Thesis Student
email Jessica
Well I have had so much fun with my brain that I decided
to explore some other brains as a Neuroscience student. For
my honors thesis I investigated the light sensitivity of
the clock gene Per1 in both the nocturnal rat and diurnal degus.
When I am not in the lab I really like to swim, swing dance
and cook (but don’t worry, not the brains). And in the near
future I will be heading to the University of Illinois to work
Dr. Mahoney.
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Here are a few photos to celebrate our
accomplishments.
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Conference at Monteray Bay. From
left: Megan Haganeuer, Hilary Grohnberg, Terri Lee, TIffany Chao, Eila Roberts.
Jennifer Mohawk's wedding. Jennifer Mohawk is a PhD alumna
of Lee Lab who recently celebrated her marriage. Some folks from the lab attended
the party.
From left: Megan Haganauer, Jamie Perryman,
Bailey Graham, Terri Lee, Megan Mahoney, Jennifer Mohawk, Ryland Graham, Rebecca
Lane, Eila Roberts.
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