The Nowicki Lab at Duke University

Our lab studies animal communication and sexual selection from an integrative perspective using a wide range of behavioral ecological, neuroethological, developmental, genetic, and evolutionary modeling techniques—we cover the full range of Tinbergen's famous Four Questions. Birds are our most common study subject, but we've also worked with spiders, shrimp, lobsters, insects, lizards, and primates, including humans. Whether in the lab or in the field—and whether we're measuring signals, watching behaviors, recording from neurons, running simulations, analyzing hormones, or doing various "-omics"—the question that unites us is how information, in the broadest sense of that word, is used by organisms to optimize their survival and reproductive success.

We aspire to achieve excellence in our work by fostering a supportive and inclusive research environment.

Nowicki Lab
Department of Biology
Box 90338, Duke University
Durham, NC  27708-0338  USA
Lab phone: 919-684-6950
Email: snowicki@duke.edu