CV

CURRENT POSITION:

Assistant Professor (2004 - present), Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Adjunct faculty (2007-present), Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Affiliate faculty (2004 - present) of the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Affiliate faculty (2004 - present) of the Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Washington

EDUCATION & RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

Research Associate, Dept of Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca NY (2003-2004)
Research Projects:
Steroid-dependent plasticity of peripheral auditory frequency sensitivity.
Ontogenetic changes in the resting discharge and response dynamics of auditory saccular afferents.
Advisor: Dr Andrew H. Bass

Grass Fellow in Neuroscience, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA (Summer 2003)
Research Project:
Steroid dependent plasticity of auditory hair cell tuning in the plainfin midshipman, Porichthys notatus.

Postdoctoral Associate, Dept of Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca NY (2002-2003)
Research Projects: Seasonal plasticity of peripheral auditory frequency sensitivity in the vocal fish Porichthys notatus.
Seasonal variation of steroid hormone levels in an intertidal-nesting fish, the vocal plainfin midshipman.
Advisor: Dr Andrew H. Bass

Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca NY (1999-2002)
Research Project: Otolithic endorgan projections of the inner ear in a vocal fish.
Advisor: Dr Andrew H. Bass

Doctorate of Philosophy in Biology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne FL (1993 -1999)
Dissertation title: Ontogenetic and androgen-induced changes in the response properties and function of the elasmobranch electrosensory system.
Advisor: Dr. Timothy C. Tricas

Master of Science in Biology, California State University, Long Beach (1989 - 1993)
Thesis title: Effect of molecular structure on the shark repellent potency of anionic surfactants.
Advisor: Dr. Donald R. Nelson

Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, California State University, Long Beach (1983 - 1988)
Research project: Growth rates of captive juvenile swell sharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum.
Advisor: Dr. Donald R. Nelson

Grants:

2008-2009, "Hair cell morphology and development associated with steroid-dependent seasonal changes in auditory saccular tuning", Mini-grant from the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, $5000. PI, J.A. Sisneros; Co-PI, Allison Coffin.

2007 - 2011, "Sound source localization by fishes", National Science Foundation $320, 000 (Sisneros' total costs = $250,798 ). PI, J.A. Sisneros; Co-PIs, Richard Fay and David Zeddies.

2005 - 2007, Royalty Research Fund Grant, University of Washington, $32,521.

2000-2002, Postdoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA), National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, $72, 612.

Honors & Awards:

2008 - Visiting Scientist research fellowship at the Parmly Hearing Institute, Loyola University Chicago (April 5 - May 4th).

2005 - Research recognized by Discover Magazine as one of the 100 most important discoveries for
the year 2004 - " Hearing tied to hormones in midshipman fish". Discover Vol 26, no 1, 2005 (Jan. issue).

2003 - Grass Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA (summer: March 25 - August 30).

2001 - Capranica Foundation Award for Neuroethology in recognition for the most significant or unique paper published during 2000-2001 in Neuroethology.

2000 - NRSA two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to work in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Bass.

1999 - Cornell University/NIH 1-yr postdoctoral training fellowship to work in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Bass.

1999 - Sigma XI Grant-in-Aid of Research Award for dissertation research

1998 - Sigma XI Best Published Student Paper Award.

1998 - American Elasmobranch Society (AES) student travel award.

1996 - American Society for Cell Biology Scholarship award to attend the Neural Systems and Behavior course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

1996 - William Townsend Porter Scholarship award to attend the Neural Systems and Behavior course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

1993 - Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) NRSA 5-yr predoctoral fellowship (NIH) to work in the lab of Dr. Timothy C. Tricas.

1993 - Association of Fisheries Research Biologists Best Fish Biology Student Paper Award.

1993 - Second place for the American Elasmobranch Society's Samuel Gruber Award.

1991 - Richard B. Loomis Memorial Award (Fund) for thesis research at Cal. State University, Long Beach (CSULB).

1988 - MARC undergraduate scholarship for the spring 1988 semester.

PUBLICATIONS:

Sisneros, JA, Alderks, PW, Leon, K and B Sniffen. (In Press) Morphometric changes associated with the reproductive cycle and behaviour of the interidal-nesting, male plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus (Girard). Journal of Fish Biology.

Sisneros, JA (In Press) Adaptive hearing in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish: getting in tune for the breeding season and its implications for acoustic communication. Integrative Zoology.

Forlano, PM, Remage-Healey, L, Sisneros, JA and AH Bass. 2007. Steroid-induced plasticity in the auditory and vocal motor system: Recent studies in a teleost fish. In: Canonaco, M and RM Facciolo (eds), Evolutionary Molecular Strategies and Plasticity, Research Signpost, Kerala, India.

Sisneros, JA. 2007. Saccular potentials of the vocal plainfin midshipman fish, Poricthys notatus. Journal of Comparative Physiology (A) 193:413-424.

Sisneros, JA and AH Bass 2005. Ontogenetic changes in the response properties of individual, primary auditory afferents in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus, Girard). Journal of Experimental Biology 208:3121-3131.

Sisneros, JA, Forlano, PM, Deitcher, D., and AH Bass. 2004. Steroid-dependent auditory plasticity leads to adaptive coupling between sender and receiver. Science 305:404-407.

Sisneros, JA, Forlano PM, Knapp R, and AH Bass 2004. Seasonal variation of steroid hormone levels in an intertidal-nesting fish, the vocal plainfin midshipman. General and Comparative Endocrinology 136:101-116.

Hueter, R., Mann, D., Maruska, K.P., Sisneros, JA and LS Demski. 2004. Sensory biology of elasmobranchs. In: The Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Tricas, TC and JA Sisneros. 2004. Ecological functions and adaptations of the elasmobranch electrosense. In: The Senses of Fishes: adaptations for the reception of natural stimuli, Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi.

Sisneros, JA and AH Bass. 2003. Seasonal plasticity of peripheral auditory frequency sensitivity. Journal of Neuroscience 23:1049-1058.

Sisneros, JA and TC Tricas. 2002. Neuroethology and life history adaptations of the elasmobranch electric sense. Journal of Physiology (Paris) 96:379-389.

Sisneros, JA and TC Tricas. 2002. Ontogenetic changes in the response properties of the peripheral electrosensory system in the Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina). Brain Behavior and Evolution 59:130-140. (Cover article)

Sisneros, JA, MA Marchaterre, and AH Bass. 2002. Otolithic endorgan projections of the inner ear in a vocal fish. Bioacoustics 12:137-139.

Sisneros, JA and DR Nelson. 2001. Surfactants as chemical shark repellents: past, present, and future. Environmental Biology of Fishes 60:117-129.

Sisneros, JA and TC Tricas. 2000. Androgen-induced changes in the response dynamics of ampullary electrosensory primary afferent neurons. Journal of Neuroscience 20:8586-8595.

Sisneros, JA. 1999. Ontogenetic and androgen-induced changes in the response properties and function of the elasmobranch electrosensory system. Ph.D. dissertation. Florida Institute of Technology, 116 pp.

Sisneros, JA, TC Tricas, and CA Luer. 1998. Response properties and biological function of the skate electrosensory system during ontogeny. Journal of Comparative Physiology (A) 183:87-99.

Nelson, DR, JN McKibben, WR Strong, CG Lowe, JA Sisneros, DM Schroeder, and RJ Lavenberg. 1997. Acoustic tracking of a Megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios: a diurnal vertical migrator. Environmental Biology of Fishes 49:389-399.

Tricas, TC, SW Michael, and JA Sisneros. 1995. Electrosensory optimization to conspecific phasic signals for mating. Neuroscience Letters 202:129-131.

Sisneros, JA. 1993. Effect of molecular structure on the shark repellent potency of anionic surfactants. MS thesis. California State University Long Beach, 77 pp.

TEACHING & MENTORING:

Advances in Animal Behavior: Concepts In Neuroethology (Psychology 541, 3 Credits, Autumn quarter 2008) - Graduate seminar course.

Animal Communication (Psychology 416, 5 Credits, Spring quarter 2008) - Undergraduate upper division course.

Animal Behavior (Psychology 300, 5 Credits, Winter quarter 2008) - Undergraduate upper division course

Mechanisms of Behavior (Biology/Psychology 408, 4 Credits, Autumn quarter 2007) - Undergraduate upper division course.

Animal Behavior (Psychology 300, 5 Credits, Winter quarter 2007) - Undergraduate upper division course

Animal Communication (Psychology 416, 5 Credits, Autumn quarter 2006) - Undergraduate upper division course.

Advances in Behavioral Neuroscience: Auditory Neuroscience and Behavior (Psychology 542, 3 Credits, Spring quarter 2006) - Graduate seminar course

Animal Behavior (Psychology 300, 5 Credits, Winter quarter 2006) - Undergraduate upper division course

Mechanisms of Behavior (Psychology 408/Biology 408, 4 Credits, Autumn quarter 2005) - Undergraduate upper division course.

Animal Communication (Psychology 416, 5 Credits, Winter quarter 2005) - Undergraduate upper division course.

Advances in Behavioral Neuroscience: Concepts In Neuroethology (Psychology 542, 3 Credits, Autumn quarter 2004) - Graduate seminar course.

Neuroethology of Acoustic Communication (Psychology 560, 2-3 Credits, Spring quarter 2004) - Graduate seminar course.

Graduate Students Mentored:
Peter Alderks (Psychology)
Kam Sam Leon (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Raquel Vasconcelos (University of Lisbon, Portugal)

Dissertation Committees:
Melissa Caras (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Caglar Akcay (Psychology)
Yamile Molina (Psychology)
Abigail Wark (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Max Sizemore (Neurobiology and Behavior)
Elizabeth Addis (Biology)
Elizabeth Duffy (Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences)
John Meitzen (Neurobiology and Behavior; graduated 2008)
Michele Harvey (Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences; graduated 2008)
Jennifer Marsh (Psychology; graduated 2008)
Morgan Benowitz-Federicks (Biology; graduated 2006)
David McGowan (MS committee - Florida Altantic University; graduated 2008)

Undergraduates Students Mentored:
Kiel Shaub (psychology student, graduated 2008)
Victoria Nutsch (honors psychology student, graduated 2008)
Amy Madden (biology student, graduated 2006)
Brian Sniffen (biology student, graduated 2006)

COMMITTEES:

Graduate Training Committee, Neurobiology and Behavior Program (2008-present)
Admissions Committee, Neurobiology and Behavior Program (2007- present)
Graduate Training Committee, Department of Psychology (2004-present)

Animal Bioacoustics Technical Committee for the Acoustical Society of America (2008-present)

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Scientific Consultant (1992) for the IMAX film Search For The Great Sharks (produced and directed by Mal Wolfe of Graphic Films).

Marine Laboratory Manager (1992-1993), California State University, Long Beach. Responsibilities: collection of marine specimens and maintenance of various aquaria for both research and teaching purposes.

Biology Teaching Assistant (summer 1992), California State University, Long Beach.
General Biology Laboratory (Bio200)
Responsibilities: instruction of introductory level biology laboratories.

Biology Teaching Assistant (spring 1992), California State University, Long Beach.
Marine Natural History Laboratory (Bio201)
Responsibilities: instruction of introductory level marine biology laboratories.

Biology Graduate Assistant (3 semesters: 1991 - spring 1992) , California State University, Long Beach .
Responsibilities: preparation and maintenance of labs and prep rooms.

Marine Laboratory Manager (summer 1990), California State University, Long Beach
Responsibilities: Collection of marine specimens and maintenance of various aquaria for both research and teaching purposes.

Biology Teaching Assistant (5 semesters: 1989 - spring 1991), California State University, Long Beach.
General Biology Laboratory (Bio200)
Responsibilities: instruction of introductory level biology laboratories.

FIELD RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

2000-present: Neuroethology of Plainfin Midshipman Fish, Porichthys notatus. Monterrey Bay (CA), Moss Landing (CA), Tomales Bay (CA), Brinnon (WA) and Friday Harbor - San Juan Island (WA).

1993-1999: Neuroethology of the Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis sabina. Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.

1993-1998: Tag and release of coastal sharks near Cape Canaveral, FL.

1990-1993: Bioelectric-mediated courtship behaviors of the Round Stingray, Urolophus halleri. Bahia Kino, Mexico.

1990-1993: Chemical shark repellent field tests on Blue Sharks, Prionace glauca. Off southern California coast near Long Beach and Santa Catalina Island, CA.

1990: Acoustic tracking of a Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios. Off the southern California coast near Dana Point.

SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS:

Invited Symposia:

Aug. 2008 - Adaptive auditory plasticity in the plainfin midshipman fish: getting in tune for the summer and its implication for acoustic communication. Invited speaker for the 2nd International Conference on Acoustic Communication by Animals at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.

Feb 2008 - Steroid-dependent auditory plasticity for the enhancement of acoustic communication. Invited speaker for the symposium on the Ear and Brain: Influences of Sex Hormones on Auditory Processing at the annual meeting for the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, Phoenix, AZ.

Nov 2007 - Adaptive hearing in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish: implications for acoustic communication. Invited speaker for the symposium on New Perspectives on Fish Neurobiology: Evolution, Development, and Function at Shanghai Fishery University, Shanghai China.

Nov 2006 - Seasonal variation in the frequency response of the ear: Implications for communication. Invited speaker for the symposium on Fish Bioacoustics: A tribute to Arthur Myrberg II at the 4th Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan, Honolulu, HI.

June 2005 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for the encoding of communication signals. Invited speaker for Symposium on Biological and Computational Perspectives on Intelligent Systems at the Friday Harbor Laboratory, Unviersity of Washington, San Juan Island, WA.

Aug. 2002 - Seasonal plasticity of peripheral auditory tuning in the vocal fish Porichthys notatus. Invited poster presenter at the Gordon Research Conference on Neuroethology: behavior, evolution, and neurobiology, Queen's College, Oxford, England.

July 2001 - Neuroethology of the elasmobranch electric sense during reproduction. Invited speaker at the Neurobiology of electrosensory organisms satellite meeting of the 6th International Congress of Neuroethology, Bonn, Germany.

May 2001 - Otolithic endorgan projections of the inner ear in a vocal fish. Invited poster presenter at the meeting for Fish bioacoustics: sensory biology, behavior and practical applications, Evanston, IL.

July 1998 - What is the current status of chemical shark repellents? Invited speaker at the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) symposium: The Behavior and Sensory Biology of Sharks and Rays: State of the Art and Future Direction. A Symposium in Honor of Donald R. Nelson at the annual meeting of AES/American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, University of Guelph, Canada.

Invited Lectures:

Sept 2008 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for social communication. Invited speaker for the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences seminar program at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

April 2008 - Steroid-dependent plasticity in the Adult Auditory System: recent evidence in a teleost fish. Invited speaker for the Parmly Hearing Institute seminar (sponsored by the Parlmly Hearing Institute and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor program) at Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL.

March 2008 - Adaptive auditory plasticity for the enhancement of acoustic communication. Invited speaker for department seminar in the department of Speech and Hearing at the University of Washingon, Seattle, WA.

Jan 2008 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for social communication. Invited speaker for neuroscience seminar in the department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL.

Nov 2007 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for the encoding of social and reproductive communication signals. Invited speaker for the Center for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

March 2007 - Adaptive auditory plasticity in the plainfin midshipman fish: getting in tune for the summer. Invited speaker for department seminar in Biology at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Oct 2006 - Adaptive Auditory Plasticity for the encoding of social and reproductive-related signals. Invited speaker for department seminar in Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

May 2006 - Adaptive hearing in the plainfin midshipman fish: getting in tune for the summer. Invited spearker for the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science department seminar at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Dec 2005 - Hormonal modulation of peripheral auditory frequency sensitivity: implications
for communication. Invited speaker for th Bloedel Hearing Research Day (12/12/05) at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Oct 2004 - Steroid-dependent sensory plasticity for the encoding of social and reproductive-related signals. Invited speaker for biology seminar at California State University Long Beach, CA.

Sept 2004 - Steroid-dependent plasticity of auditory tuning in the Plainfin Midshipman fish: getting in tune for the summer. Invited speaker for seminar at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, Moss Landing, Ca.

July 2004 - Steroid-dependent sensory plasticity for the encoding of social and reproductive-related signals. Speaker for biology seminar at the UC Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA.

May 2004 - Adaptive auditory plasticity: getting in tune for the summer. Invited speaker for the Institute of Neuroscience seminar at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

May 2004 - Steroid-dependent sensory plasticity leads to adaptive matching of sender and receiver. Invited speaker for the Neurobiology and Behavior Program at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Oct. 2003 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for encoding social and reproductive-related signals. Invited speaker for biology seminar at the University of Minnesota at Duluth, Duluth, MN.

March 2003 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for encoding social and reproductive-related signals. Invited speaker for biology seminar at Florida International University, Miami, FL.

March 2003 - Adaptive sensory plasticity: encoding reproductive-related vocal signals. Speaker for neurobiology & behavior seminar at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Feb. 2003 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for social behaviors. Invited speaker for psychology seminar at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Feb. 2003 - Adaptive sensory plasticity: encoding reproductive-related vocal signals. Invited speaker for biology seminar at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN.

Nov. 2002 - Adaptive sensory plasticity for social behavior. Invited speaker for biopsychology colloquium at Hunter College, New York.

Oct. 1998 - Ontogenetic and androgen-induced changes in response properties of the elasmobranch electric sense. Invited speaker for zoology seminar at the University of Texas, Austin.

Conferences:

Nov 2008 - Ontogenetic retention of auditory saccular tuning in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus. Poster co-authored with graduate student Peter Alderks at the annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, Washington, D.C.

Nov 2007 - Seasonal changes in auditory saccular tuning of female midshipman fish, Porichtys notatus. Poster presenter at the annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

Nov. 2003 - Hormone-induced plasticity in peripheral frequency sensitivity. Poster presenter at annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.

Nov. 2001 - Seasonal plasticity of peripheral auditory tuning. Poster presenter at annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

Nov. 2000 - Ontogenetic changes in the resting discharge and response dynamics of auditory saccular afferents. Poster presenter at annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.

Nov. 1999 - Androgen-induced changes in the response dynamics of ampullary electrosensory primary afferent neurons. Poster presenter at annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, Miami, FL.

June 1996 - Response properties and function of the skate electrosensory system during ontogeny. Annual meeting of American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists/American Elasmobranch Society, New Orleans, LA.

Nov. 1995 - Ontogenetic retention and shifts in response features of primary afferent electrosensory neurons in the clearnose skate, Raja eglanteria. Poster presenter at annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

June 1993 - Effect of molecular structure on the shark repellent potency of anionic surfactants. Speaker at annual meeting of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, CSULB Long Beach, CA.

May 1993 - Effect of molecular structure on the shark repellent potency of anionic surfactants and Growth rates of captive juvenile swell sharks, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum. Speaker at annual meetings of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists / American Elasmobranch Society, University of Texas at Austin.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND MEMBERSHIP:

Reviewer:
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (2008)
Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Sensory, Neural and Behavioral Physiology (2008)
Zoology (2008)
Integrative Zoology (2008)
Journal of Fish Biology (2008)
Proceeding of the Royal Society B (2008)
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2008)
Proceeding of the Royal Society B (2007)
Animal Behavior (2007)
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A (2007)
Hormones and Behavior (2007)
Biological Journal of of the Linnean Society (2007)
Journal of Experimental Biology (2007)
Journal of Neuroscience (2006)
Behaviour (2006)
Journal of Neurophysiology (2006)
Biological Bulletin (2005)
Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Sensory, Neural and Behavioral Physiology (2005)
Journal of Neurobiology (2005)
North American Journal of Aquaculture (2005)
Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology (2004)
Biological Bullentin (2003)
Journal of Neuroscience Methods (2003)
Acta Adriatica (2002)
Brain Behavior and Evolution (2002)
Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology (2002)

NSF (2004-2008)
Sea Grant (2006-2008)

Membership:
Animal Behavior Society, Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Acoustical Society of America, Society for Neuroscience, International Society for Neuroethology, JB Johnston Club.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

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