Delia Shelton

My research passion lies in using basic research to translate science into practical solutions while cultivating a diverse talent pool. In accordance with these goals, my research balances basic science, translational research, and industry needs while involving people from marginalized groups. My research program focuses on understanding how environmental features impact multi-level organizations (e.g., individuals, groups, populations) to protect ecosystems and human health. We employ animal behavior, field studies, social network analyses, calcium imaging, and next generation sequencing in zebrafish to identify novel mechanisms and predict consequences of environmental change. These approaches allow us to understand the impact of environmental change at the cellular, organ (eyes, brain), individual, group, and population scale. Currently, my lab has three active lines of research: 1) tightly integrated lab and field studies to understand the development and evolution of social behavior, 2) identifying the mechanisms that lead environmental contaminants (metals, cadmium, lead, PFAS, microplastics) to induce behavioral disorders, and 3) developing commercializable tools to enhance finfish aquaculture.