Marc Schmidt

Birdsong is one of the most tractable model systems for the study of complex learned behaviors. Much of the strength of the system lies in the ease with which the behavior can be quantified and the prominence of the highly specialized circuit, known as the song system, that is involved in song learning and production. In addition, because song learning in birds and language acquisition in humans are both dependent on auditory feedback, the study of birdsong learning is likely to provide many insights into the mechanisms underlying vocal development in humans. Work in our laboratory is centered on understanding the mechanism(s) underlying vocal production and in particular how the respiratory system might play a key role in synchronizing ‘cortical’ song motor activity in each hemisphere. We have also recently become interested in the possible role the song system plays in female sexual preference. The long-term goal of our laboratory is to understand how the nervous system encodes complex learned behaviors.