Dr. Mark Deutschlander Assistant Professor
	Office: 08-1260 Phone: 475-2196 Email: medsbi@rit.edu

Research Interests:

I am interested in several research areas that revolve around a curiosity about animal migration and sensory biology. Animals use a variety of cues for finding their way and determining their location during migration and daily movements. I have studied the role of the earth's magnetic field and visual cues in animal orientation. Scientists now know that many animals are capable sensing the earth's magnetic field (a sense that has been labeled "magnetoreception"), but we don't fully understand how animals use the magnetic field for migration. In addition, the underlying physiological, or sensory mechanisms, for magnetoreception have yet to be identified. In other words, we don't know how animals sense the earth's magnetic field! I have conducted experiments on migratory birds, amphibians (yes, they migrate too), and even on rodents to gain a better understanding of how animals use and sense the earth's magnetic field. For more on magnetoreception see a brief story on abcnews.com.

I am also interested in how animals sense and use visual cues in the sky (called celestial cues) for migration. Many animals use the position of the sun to determine direction, but animals can also use cues that humans don't see in the sky. In particular, there are patterns of polarized-light in the sky that many animals can use to determine direction. In vertebrates, it appears that polarized light in the ultraviolet (UV) part of spectrum is important for orientation. In addition UV light, and the ability to perceive it, is important for many other behaviors in animals such as prey-capture, foraging, and selection of mates. I have studied UV visual perception in amphibians and fish. The initial focus of my lab here at RIT will be to use physiological techniques to explore the visual capacity of amphibians, with particular attention to UV light. We will also conduct behavioral experiments to determine the role of UV light in the amphibian life cycle.

My scientific studies have led me to interesting places such as Australia, British Columbia, and Trinidad and Tobago. I have also had the pleasure of working with a great variety of amazing animals including bobolinks, Australian silvereyes, oilbirds and nighthawks, rainbow trout, pacific salmon, Siberian Hamsters, and salamanders and frogs. In addition, I have often found myself exploring new areas of research such as biorhythms, salmon farming and enhancement, conservation of amphibian populations, and the possible connection of electromagnetic fields to adverse human health effects.

Research is fun and exciting and I encourage students to try to do at least some research during your undergraduate career. I started research on migratory birds while I was an undergraduate at SUNY Geneseo, and my experience in the lab provided me with some of my most valuable memories of college. In addition, my research experience during college was the most valuable stepping stones for my future. Whether you want to be a research scientist, a doctor, a veterinarian, a conservation biologist, or something else, conducting research during your time at HWS will be a great investment in your future.

See this page in the future to see more about my research program at HWS!