Program Honors and Capstone Conference

Dr. Patricia Lopes

Dr. Patricia Lopes received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. Before joining Chapman University as an Assistant Professor of Biology, she lived and worked in Switzerland, at the University of Zurich. Her work is focused on understanding how and why animals behave in the ways they do. Dr. Lopes is interested in determining the causes and consequences of animal social behavior, with an emphasis on disease transmission. Her research integrates several levels of biological organization, including genes, hormones, the brain, the individual, and ultimately the dynamics of a whole social group. In her work, Dr. Lopes combines field and laboratory manipulations, and makes use of behavioral sensors and tracking technology, as well as a range of molecular and histological techniques. She is passionate about mentoring students in research and helping them achieve their full potential. A lot of her group's research has been aimed at answering the question "Why do we feel sick?", which couldn't be more relevant these days.

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