Research

The overarching goal of my research is to understand the role of environmental change in mediating animal movement and behaviour. In particular, I use both laboratory and field-based techniques to uncover the proximate and ultimate drivers of behavioural variation within populations, and how these behavioural traits are influenced by human-induced global environmental change.

Proximate and ultimate drivers of behavioural variation

Overview: Individuals within populations exhibit distinctive patterns of behaviour. These individual behavioural differences can have major implications for the ecology and evolution of populations. My research investigates both the proximate (i.e. mechanistic) and ultimate (i.e. evolutionary) drivers of this behavioural variation.

Selected publications:

  1. Brand JA, Aich U, Yee WKW, Wong BBM, Dowling DK. (2024) Sexual selection increases male behavioural consistency in Drosophila melanogaster. The American Naturalist. 203: 713-725. https://doi.org/10.1086/729600

  2. Brand JA, Garcia-Gonzalez F, Dowling D K, Wong BBM. (2024) Mitochondrial genetic variation as a potential mediator of intraspecific behavioural diversity. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 39: 199-212.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.009

  3. Brand JA, Henry J, Melo GC, Wlodkowic D, Wong BBM, Martin JM. (2023) Sex differences in the predictability of risk-taking behaviour. Behavioral Ecology 34: 108-116 https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arac105

Animal behaviour in a changing world

Overview: Humans are having an unprecedented impact on global ecosystems. These environmental changes present novel challenges that wildlife must adapt to and overcome. Behavioural adjustments are often an animals first response to environmental change and can be critical in determining species success in a changing world. My research aims to uncover how human-induced environmental change (e.g. biological invasions, chemical pollution, and temperature change) can influence behavioural traits in wild populations.

Selected publications:

  1. Brand JA, Yee WKW, Aitkenhead IJ, Martin JM, Polverino G, Chown SL, Wong BBM, Dowling DK. (2023) Temperature change exerts sex-specific effects on behavioural variation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 290: 20230110 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0110

  2. Chapple DG*, Naimo AC*, Brand JA*, Michelangeli M, Martin JM, Goulet CT, Brunton DH, Sih A, Wong BBM. (2022) Biological invasions as a selective filter driving behavioral divergence. Nature Communications 13: 5996 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33755-2
    * Co-first authorship

  3. Brand JA, Martin JM, Tan H, Mason RT, Orford JT, Hammer MP, Chapple DG, Wong BBM. (2021) Rapid shifts in behavioural traits during a recent fish invasion. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 75: 134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03077-2

Lab to field: tracking animal behaviour in the wild

Overview: While laboratory studies have been instrumental in our understanding of animal behaviour, such research cannot incorporate the environmental complexity that exists in the wild. As such, we have a poor understanding of whether behavioural responses measured in the lab are reflective of animal behaviour under real world conditions. Using modern animal tracking technologies (e.g. acoustic telemetry) alongside experimental approaches, my research aims to uncover how wildlife respond to environmental change under natural conditions.

Selected publications:

  1. Brand JA, Michelangeli M, Shry SJ, Moore ER, Bose APH, Cerveny D, Martin JM, Hellström G, McCallum ES, Holmgren A, Thoré ESJ, Fick J, Brodin T, Bertram MG. (2025). Pharmaceutical pollution influences river-to-sea migration in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Science 388, 217-222. DOI:10.1126/science.adp7174

  2. Brand JA*, Martin JM*, Michelangeli M, Thoré ESJ., Sandoval-Herrera N, McCallum ES, Szabo D, Callahan D, Clark TD, Bertram MG, Brodin T. (2025) Advancing the spatiotemporal dimension of wildlife–pollution interactions. Environmental Science & Technology Letters https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00042

    * Co-first authorship

  3. Brand JA, Bertram MG, Cerveny D, McCallum ES, Hellström G, Michelangeli M, Palm D*, Brodin T*. (2024). Psychoactive pollutant alters movement dynamics of fish in a natural lake system. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Science, 291 (2036), 20241760

    * Co-last authors.

Metascience and evidence synthesis

Overview: Metascience ("the science of science") involves the critical evaluation of research practices, methodologies, and frameworks used to generate scientific knowledge. Evidence synthesis (e.g. systematic reviews, meta-analyses) complements metascience by aggregating and integrating findings from multiple studies to provide a holistic understanding of scientific findings. Both metascience and evidence synthesis are essential for advancing behavioural and evolutionary ecology as robust, evidence-based disciplines. By fostering transparency, improving synthesis methodologies, and addressing knowledge gaps, my research aims to enhance the credibility of scientific findings and their application to conservation and policy.

Selected publications:

  1. Martin JM, Michelangeli M, Bertram MG, Blanchfield PJ, Brand JA, Brodin T, ... & McCallum ES. (2025). Evidence of the Impacts of Pharmaceuticals on Aquatic Animal Behaviour (EIPAAB): a systematic map and open access database. Environmental Evidence, 14: 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-025-00357-6

  2. Noble DW, Xirocostas ZA, Wu NC, Martinig AR, Almeida RA, Bairos-Novak KR, Balti H, Bertram MG, Bliard L, Brand JA, Byrne I.,…Lagisz M (2024) The promise of community-driven preprints in ecology and evolution. Proceedings B https://doi.org/10.32942/X2SS46

  3. Gould E, Fraser HS, Parker TH, Nakagawa S, Griffith SC, Vesk PA, Fidler F, Hamilton DG, Abbey-Lee RN, Abbott JK, Aguirre LA.,…Brand JA,….Lagisz, M (2025) Same data, different analysts: variation in effect sizes due to analytical decisions in ecology and evolutionary biology. BMC Biology https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-024-02101-x