Faculty

Jennifer Grindstaff, Associate Professor

Animal behavior, ecological immunology, maternal effects, maternal antibody transmission, avian biology, behavioral ecology

Ph.D., 2004, Indiana University

Email: jen.grindstaff@okstate.edu

Lab website

Specific Interests

My research incorporates concepts and approaches from physiology, behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. I use this integrative approach to understand both the proximate mechanisms and the evolutionary consequences of life history trade-offs. Studies in the lab involve the integration of field and laboratory work to explore how ecological and physiological parameters act and interact to influence parent and offspring phenotypes.

Selected Publications (*= graduate students; #=undergraduate students)

• K.C. Schreier^*, J.L. Grindstaff. 2020. Repeatable behavioural and immune defence strategies against infection are not traded-off. Animal Behaviour 162:11-22.
• L. Merrill, J.L. Grindstaff. 2018. Early life stress strengthens trait covariance: a plastic response that results in reduced flexibility. The American Naturalist 192:593-604 DOI: 10.1086/699839.
• L. Merrill, M.F. Naylor^*, M. Dalimonte^#, S. McLaughlin^#, T.E. Stewart^*, J.L. Grindstaff. 2017. Early-life immune activation increases song complexity and alters phenotypic associations between sexual ornaments. Functional Ecology 31:2263-2273.
• M. Ambardar^*, J.L. Grindstaff. 2017. Pre-GnRH and GnRH-induced testosterone levels do not vary across behavioral contexts: A role for individual variation. General and Comparative Endocrinology 246:51-62.
• J.L. Grindstaff. 2016. Developmental immune activation programs adult behavior: insight from research on birds. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 7:21-27.
• J. L. Burtka^* and J.L. Grindstaff. 2015. Similar nest defence strategies within pairs increase reproductive success in the Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis). Animal Behaviour 100:174-182.
• L. Merrill and J.L. Grindstaff. 2015. Pre and post-natal antigen exposure can program the stress axis of adult zebra finches: evidence for environment matching. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 45:71-79.
• K.L. Buchanan, J.L. Grindstaff, V.V. Pravosudov. 2013. Condition-dependent cognition: implications for ecology and evolution. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 28:290-296.
• J.L. Grindstaff, V.R. Hunsaker^#, S.N. Cox^#. 2012. Maternal and developmental immune challenges alter personality and learning ability of offspring. Hormones & Behavior 62:337-344.
• J.L. Grindstaff, D. Hasselquist, J-Å Nilsson, M. Sandell, H.G. Smith, M. Stjernman. 2006. Transgenerational priming of immunity: maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen enhances offspring humoral immunity. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 273:2551-2557.
• J.L. Grindstaff, E.D. Brodie III, E.D. Ketterson. 2003. Immune function across generations: integrating mechanism and evolutionary process in maternal antibody transmission. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 270:2309-2320.