Philip H. Brownell

Professor

B.A., U California, Berkeley 1970; Ph.D., U California, Riverside 1976

E-Mail: brownell@bcc.orst.edu, Phone: 541-737-5343, FAX: 541-737-0501, Address: Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2914.

I study the organization of nervous systems and the physiological basis of animal behavior. My current research focus is on structure and function of sensory systems in arachnids, an accessible but poorly investigated area of arthropod neurobiology. One of our experimental models is a guild of nocturnal, predatory scorpions living in sandy deserts. Sand scorpions utilize several unique sensory systems to locate prey and potential mates in the dark. These include highly sensitive vibration receptors on the legs, wind-sensitive hairs and chemosensory appendages ("pectines") for detecting species-specific chemical signals (pheromones). Another developing interest is in sensory ecology and behavior of amblypygids and opilionids living in tropical rain forests. Our studies attack these problems at all levels, from natural behaviors as they occur in the field to microanatomy and neurophysiology of signal processing pathways in the CNS. My ultimate goal is clarify the mechanisms of information processing and perception in nervous systems.

Teaching:

I teach large enrollment introductory and pre-professional courses in organismal physiology -- Introductory Biology (BI 212), Principles of Physiology (Z 430) and laboratory (Z 436). I also teach graduate seminars in Behavioral Biology (Z 507) and courses/seminars in sensory and behavioral neurobiology (Z 541). A common goal of my lectures is to illustrate the connection between biological structure and function and its evolution. I especially value the opportunity to influence the thoughts and attitudes of students as they learn the importance of biology for personal and social decision-making.

See also, further description of my work and a more extended list of references in: OSU Research database.

Representative Recent Publications:
 

Brownell, P.H. (2000) Sensory ecology and orientational behaviors. In Scorpion Biology and Research, eds, P.H. Brownell and G.A. Polis. Oxford University Press.

Brownell, P.H. (1998) Glomerular cytoarchitectures in chemosensory systems of arachnids.  New York Acad. Sci 855:502-507.

Gaffin, D. and P.H. Brownell (1997). Response properties of chemosensory peg sensilla on the pectines of scorpions. J. Comp. Physiol.181:291-300.

Gaffin, D. and P.H. Brownell (1997). Electrophysiological evidence of synaptic interactions within chemosensory sensilla of scorpion pectines. J. Comp. Physiol. 181:301-307.