Interested in joining our lab? We’re not recruiting graduate students at the moment, but click here for information on what our group looks for in applicants and some tips on applying (here or elsewhere).
Dr. Alexander G. Ophir – Principal Investigator Professor
Cornell University
Department of Psychology
Division of Behavioral & Evolutionary Neuroscience
218 Uris Hall
Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
Phone: (607) 255-3714
Email: ophir@cornell.edu
Twitter: @alexophir
Bluesky: @alexophir.bsky.social
Research Interests: Proximate & ultimate influences on social behavior: including individual variation in genes, brain and behavior; monogamy and social attachment; alternative reproductive tactics; parental care; early life social influence on development; social & spatial memory; mate choice; animal communication; reproductive decision-making. |
Dr. Lindsay Sailer – Postdoctoral Fellow:2019 – Present
NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellow
 PhD (2018), Florida State University
BA (2010) University of North Florida Email: lls222@cornell.edu Research Interests: social bonding, partner preference, early-life experiences, social aggression, vasopressin, oxytocin, chemogenetics, epigenetics, individual differences. |
Rachael Beaumont – PhD Student:2022 – Present NSF Graduate Research Fellow  BS (2019) Georgia State University
Email: rb799@cornell.edu
Research Interests: neural mechanisms of social behavior, mating behavior, individual differences, vasopressin, oxytocin. |
Rikki Laser – PhD Student:2020 – Present
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
 BA (2020) University of Iowa
Email: rsl249@cornell.edu
Research Interests: Development, social behavior, neurobiology, neuroethology. |
Susanna Zheng – PhD Student:2021 – Present
 BA (2020) University of California, Davis
Email: sz272@cornell.edu
Research Interests: Stress, early experience, development, social behavior, neurobiology. |
| Lab Alumni: |
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MS Student: 2009 – 2012
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Position(s): PhD, University of Texas; Postdoc, University of Utah; Postdoc Cornell University (K. Tschida)
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PhD Student: 2009 – 2016
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
NSF Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow
Position(s): MD (University of Kansas), Pediatrician at Cottonwood Pediatrics
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Postdoc Associate: 2012-2016
TED Fellow
Position(s): Associate Professor, Southern Illinois University
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PhD Student: 2011 – 2018
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – two time Honorable Mention
Position(s): Postdoc, University of California, Berkeley; Private Industry
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Postdoc Associate: 2014-2018
NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellow
Position(s): Associate Professor, Emory University
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PhD Student: 2015-2020
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Position(s): NIH DP5 Fellow, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder
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PhD Student: 2011-2020
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Position(s): Postdoc, Cornell University (M. Gonzalez, A. Burrow); Private Industry
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Postdoc Associate: 2017-2020
Position(s): Assistant Professor, Fu Jen Catholic University
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Postdoc Associate: 2017-2021
Position(s): Assistant Professor, Salisbury University
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PhD Student: 2016 – 2021
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention
Position(s): Postdoc, Harvard University; Instructional Content Developer, Harvard University
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PhD Student: 2018 – 2023
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Position(s): Senior Research Assistant, MD Anderson Cancer Research Center
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Postdoc Associate: 2020-2024
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB) Fellow
Position(s): Postdoc, Cornell University, Sandkam Lab + Prior Lab
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PhD Student: 2022 – 2025
Position(s): Research Associate, Cornell University, Prior Lab
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Postdoc Associate: 2019-2025
Cornell NextGen Future Professors Fellow
Position(s): Lecturer, College of Holy Cross
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