Our research on birds and the problem of heat began with the tree swallow, a bird that is not only thriving in the warm American southeast but also a bird that thrives in response to experimental heatwaves. We are now asking how thermotolerance is built in multiple species, including those that are not thriving in the face of warming climates. 

Via collaborations with the Derryberry lab at Tennessee, we found that heat elicits regulatory changes in the brain, particularly for individuals who do not behaviorally thermoregulate, and particularly for genes related to dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine signaling. But do these same patterns differentiate thermotolerant and intolerant species? What are the ecological and neurophysiological mechanisms that foster thermotolerance? And, how can we use this information to promote thriving in our changing world?