Members

Dra. Cynthia A. Ursino

Postdoctoral Fellow CONICET | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


I've always been fascinated by animal social behaviors, and interactions between species, such as that between parasites and hosts. My research interest is focused on the evolutionary and behavioral ecology of birds, with particular emphasis on cooperative breeding and brood parasitism. My work combines behavioral observations, genetics analysis, and field experiments.
I received my degree in Biological Science at the University of Buenos Aires in 2008. During my studies, I majored in ecology and for my undergraduate thesis I examined the cooperative breeding of the Baywing, Agelaioides badius. I received my Ph.D. in 2016 from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, studying the evolution of host-parasite interactions between the specialist Screaming Cowbird, the generalist Shiny Cowbird, and a shared host, the Baywing. Currently, I am a Presidential Posdoctoral Research Fellow at Princeton University. My postdoctoral work focuses on the mating system and population genetics of the Screaming Cowbird.