Sharon Lynn
Horace N. Mateer Professor of Biology, Neuroscience
Biology, Neuroscience
Biography
Areas of Interest
I am interested in hormones and behavior and how early life experiences shape the development of the endocrine system in vertebrate animals. My interests fit within the broad field of environmental endocrinology. This means that, in addition to wanting to better understand the endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms that affect physiology and behavior in vertebrates, I am also interested in understanding the ecological relevance of those mechanisms. Though I have worked on a variety of vertebrate animals, most of my work focuses on songbirds, with a particular emphasis on zebra finches and free-living eastern bluebirds.
My students, collaborators, and I are engaged in multiple ongoing projects focusing on (1) how variation in maternal care shapes the physiology of offspring during development (with a specific focus on glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone secretion); (2) how experiences early in life can alter behavioral and hormonal responses to novel situations later in life; and (3) how animals cope with unpredictability.
Courses Taught
- IDPT 101: First Year Seminar
- BIOL 202: Gateway to Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology
- BIOL 344: Comparative Animal Physiology
- BIOL 377: Behavioral Endocrinology
- IDPT 199: The Global HIV/AIDS Crisis
Selected Publications & Presentations
- Lynn, S.E., Kern, M.D., Cagwin, N., Will, A., Kitaysky, A.S. 2024. Effects of cooling on thyroid hormone secretion and growth of eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) nestlings. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 347, 114421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114421
- Lynn, S.E., Kern, M. D. 2023. Early-life cooling laters later corticosterone response to restraint in prefledging eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) but does not alter adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 96, 206-215. https://doi.org/10.1086/724972
- Lynn, S.E., Lungu, T., Lee, S.Y. 2023. Unpredictable fasting transiently alters corticosterone and feeding behavior but not body mass or later HPA axis function in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A. 281, 111434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111434
- Lynn, S.E., Kern, M.D., Serrurier, B., Sirman, A., Heidinger, B.J., 2022. Chill out: Environmentally relevant cooling challenge does not increase telomere loss during early life. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 329, 114108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114108
- Lynn, S.E., Kern, M.D., Will, A., Fitzgerald, K., Kitaysky, A.S., 2022. Cooling increases corticosterone deposition in feathers of eastern bluebird chicks. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 329, 114108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114001
Want to learn more?
Interested in Biology, Neuroscience or have questions about courses? Feel free to reach out!
Contact Sharon