Andrew Anderson, Phd. Visiting scholar

I have always liked fishes and the oceans, my first job in high school was working as a visitor service associate at the Tennessee Aquarium. I then attended the University of Miami where I got my degree in Marine Science/Biology while working two summers at the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute (now renamed and relocated). Life got interesting and I ended up working at a pet shop, then as a middle and high school teacher. I knew I missed research, so I took a swing at Masters programs and got into the Marine Biology program at College of Charleston. I worked with the SCDNR on stock management and population genetics which got me really interested in evolution and sexual selection. I joined Adam Jones’s lab for my doctorate at Texas A&M working on sexual selection and sex-role reversal in syngnathids (pipefishes, seahorses, seadragons). From there I joined the Renn Lab and won an NSF PRFB where I worked on testing my hypotheses on the underlying mechanisms of cross-sexual transfer. I later was the Principal Investigator on full NSF Grant and a visiting professor at Reed College running my own lab. I will now be joining Dr. Mingxi Xu’s lab at the University of Minnesota to continue work on behavior, mate choice and sexual selection in crickets.

Student Researchers

Josh Stueckle (Post-Baccalaureate Researcher) 2024: Maternal behavior in mouthbrooding Astatotilapia burtoni after the fry are released, particularly looking at dominance behaviors and consumption of their own young.

Helena Dobiecka (Post-Baccalaureate Researcher) 2024: Targeting transcriptional activities of hormone receptors and biosynthetic enzymes that metabolize gonadal hormones.

Willa Cantlon (Student Researcher) 2024: Behavioral changes in Julidochromis marlieri when males and females are exposed to different social situations.

Tia Hendel (Student Researcher) 2024: Cross-reactivity of antibodies to mammalian hormone receptors (androgen and estrogen) in two species of fishes: Julidochromis transcriptus and Syngnathus scovelli.

Brendan Mobley (Post-Baccalaureate Researcher) 2023-2024: Evolution of chromosome number in gourami

Fiona Noble (Student Researcher) 2023: Hormonal changes in Julidochromis transcriptus as they experience changes from bigger to smaller nest partners or vice versa

Ry Dennis (Post-Baccalaureate Researcher) 2022-2023: Behavioral paradigms in Julidochromis marlieri, particularly in pairing dynamics and responses to conspecific intruders.

Past Reed Thesis Students:

Adela Reuter 2024-2025: Documenting the behaviors when cross-sex non-specifics Julies interact with each other in a mesocosm setting.

Fiona Nobel 2024-2025: Developing techniques for inserting hormone capsules into our fishes and testing the effects of exogenous hormones on the behavior of our Julies.

Izzi Laun 2023-2024: Acoustic patterns during pairing behavior with Julidochromis marlieri or J. transcriptus produce

Josh Stueckle 2023-2024: Social status and the choice to continue maternal mouthbrooding in Astatotilapia burtoni

Helena Dobiecka 2023-2024: Hormonal correlates of behaviors in Julidochromis transcriptus pairs and the refinement of a brain punch technique for RNA sequencing

Brendan Mobley 2022-2023: Evolution of chromosome number in gourami.

Bean Fischer 2022-2023: Neurotensin expression across brain regions of Astatotilapia burtoni during mouthbrooding

Jaden Nichols 2022-2023: Behavior of captive chimpanzees during new troop introductions

Past Fish Technicians (reed)

Charlie Ball, Adam Eubanks, Sammi Goldberg

Past undergraduate Mentees (Texas A&M)

Caitlin Gabehart, Erin Dooley, Paul Hale, Elvira Maynard, Andrea Martinez, Keren Herrera