Andrew Barron

Personal profile

Biography

Dr Barron is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, and Deputy Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University. He is a neuroethologist, which is a discipline of neuroscience studying the neural mechanisms of natural animal behaviour. Most of his research focuses on insects, especially honey bees. Using advanced techniques to visualise, manipulate, map and record from the insect brain Barron’s team has made important contributions to the understanding of fundamental behavioural systems such as cognition, navigation, social behaviour and learning and memory.

He also conducts research to improve honey bee health and welfare. He is studying how bees and bee colonies are impacted by pesticide and disease stressors, and how to best intervene to help bee colonies under stress.

Research interests

Understanding animal minds

What is it like to be a bee? Are simple animals like insects cognitive and reflective entities, or are they more like robots: simple reflexive stimulus-response entities? Studying animal behaviour combined with studies of the mechanisms supporting behavioural capacities will give critical understanding of the nature of animal minds.

Modelling the insect brain

The insect brain is a complex cognitive microprocessor. This project combines experimental neuroscience with computational and mathematical modelling to explore the circuits and systems of the insect brain function and generate behaviour.

Honey bee health and welfare

This is not an easy time to be a bee. Pesticides, diseases, habitat degradation and climate change are all piling stressors onto honey bees. Honey bee colonies are failing at such levels there is concern we may not have enough bees to pollinate our food crops. This research program explores how we can best support bee health in the current challenging environment.

Education/Academic qualification

Department of Zoology, PhD, University of Cambridge

1995 → 1999

Natural Sciences, First Class Honours, University of Cambridge

1992 → 1995

External positions

Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Australian Research Council

2015 → …

President, Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour, AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY OF THE STUDY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

2012 → 2014

Vice-President, Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour, AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY OF THE STUDY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

2010 → 2012

Treasurer, Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour, AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY OF THE STUDY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

2008 → 2010

Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University

2004 → 2007

Fullbright Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois

2001 → 2004

Royal Society Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sydney

1999 → 2001

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Projects

13 Active
22 Finished

ActiveAI - active learning and selective attention for robust, transparent and efficient AI

Barron, A. & Philippides, A.

1/11/19 → 31/10/22

Project: Other

Centre for NeuroRobotics plan A': matching funding for an international collaborative project

Barron, A.

1/07/19 → 30/06/22

Project: Research

An analysis of the distribution of degrees of intelligence across animal groups

Barron, A.

4/06/18 → 3/06/20

Project: Other

Protecting vulnerable Australian honey bees

Barron, A.

25/07/17 → …

Project: Research

A new understanding of complex systems through study of self-assembled swarm architecture in ants

Reid, C. & Barron, A.

30/06/17 → …

Project: Research