Kathleen M. Munley

My first preprint from my postdoc is available now on bioRxiv! In this manuscript, we use phylogenetics to propose a new nomenclature system for novel steroid receptor paralogs in teleost fishes. Click here to read more!

My manuscript on sex differences in the neuroendocrine regulation of seasonal aggression was recently published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences! In this study, I showed that male and female hamsters exhibit different neuroendocrine responses to treatment with short-day photoperiods or timed melatonin injections, despite both sexes showing increased aggression. Specifically, I…

I am thrilled to have received a New Investigator Award from the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN)! This award is presented annually to postdocs and senior graduate students for their notable research that pushes the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology into new frontiers. I was presented my award at the SBN 2022 meeting in Atlanta, GA…

Earlier this month, I started a new position as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston! As a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Beau Alward, I will be studying how steroid hormones regulate aggressive and reproductive behaviors across different social contexts in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni….

Last Friday, I officially became a doctor and graduated from Indiana University! I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend the ceremony and be hooded by my amazing advisor, Greg. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds!

My review on the role of melatonin in regulating seasonal aggression was published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A! In this review, I discuss the physiological and cellular mechanisms underlying seasonal plasticity in aggressive and non-aggressive social behaviors in vertebrates, including a key role for melatonin in facilitating a “seasonal switch” in the neuroendocrine…

Last Friday, I presented my Ph.D. defense seminar entitled “Melatonin as a Neuroendocrine Regulator of Seasonal Aggression in Siberian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)” and successfully defended my dissertation! I am humbled and proud to be Dr. Munley!

My review discussing how liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can be used to study seasonal (and non-seasonal) brain-behavior interactions was recently published in Hormones and Behavior! This article was the result of a fun collaboration with Devaleena Pradhan and Kristina Wade from the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University. In the review, we…

I received the Hanna Kolodziejski Fellowship at ABC 2022! This fellowship is awarded annually to a CISAB and EEB graduate student at Indiana University who shows academic talent in research and teaching and demonstrates a commitment to the community through service or outreach programs. It was an honor to be awarded this fellowship, and it is…

Last weekend, I presented my research at the 2022 Animal Behavior Conference! In my talk, I discussed some of my recent work examining how seasonal changes in melatonin secretion alter steroidogenic enzyme activity and seasonal aggression in male and female Siberian hamsters. This will be my last presentation at this meeting, which is hosted by…