Education

2002-2006: Postdoc, LSUHSC

2000-2002: Postdoc, University of Texas-Austin

1994-2000: Ph.D., Cornell University (Neurobiology & Behavior)

Teaching

Course Coordinator:

Inter 132 (Neuroscience Block: Director)

Medical Neuroscience (Course Director)

Psychoacoustics (Course Director)

Lecturer :

Allied Health Neuroscience ; Investigative Neuroscience ; Molecular Neuroscience ; Synaptic Organization of the Brain

Publications

Walkowski, WG, Richards-Zawacki, CL, Gordon, WC, Bazan, NG, Farris, HE. (2024) The relationship between spectral signals and retinal sensitivity in dendrobatid frogs. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312578

Ponnath, A, Ryan, MJ, Fang, Z, Farris, HE. (2022) Tuned in to communication sounds: neuronal sensitivity in the túngara frog midbrain to frequency modulated signals. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268383

Leslie, CE, Walkowski, W, Rosencrans, RF, Gordon, WC, Bazan, NG, Ryan, MJ, Farris, HE. (2021) Estrogenic modulation of retinal sensitivity in reproductive female túngara frogs. Integrative & Comparative Biology, icab032, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab032  Link 

Leslie, CE, Rosencrans, RF, Walkowski, W, Gordon, WC, Bazan, NG, Ryan, MJ, Farris, HE. (2020) Reproductive state modulates retinal sensitivity to light in female túngara frogs. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 13:293. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00293  Link

Rosencrans RF, Leslie CE, Perkins KA, Walkowski W, Gordon WC, Richards-Zawacki CL, Bazan NG, Farris HE. (2018) Quantifying the relationship between optical anatomy and retinal physiological sensitivity: A comparative approach. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24531 Link

Ponnath, A., Depreux, F., Jodelka, F., Rigo, F., Farris, H.E., Hastings, M., Lentz, J. (2018) Rescue of outer hair cells with antisense oligonucleotides in Usher mice is dependent on age of treatment, Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. DOI: 10.1007/s10162-017-0640-x   Link

Farris, H.E. and Ryan, M.J. (2017) Schema vs. primitive perceptual grouping: The relative weighting of sequential versus spatial cues during an auditory grouping task in frogs, Journal of Comparative Physiology A. DOI 10.1007/s00359-017-1149-9   Link

Farris, H.E. (2017) Perception drives the evolution of observable traits. Science Vol. 355, Issue 6320, pp. 25-26 DOI: 10.1126/science.aal4193 PDF / Link (Perspective paper)

Farris H.E. and Taylor, R.C. (2016) Mate Searching Animals as Model Systems for Understanding Perceptual Grouping. In Psychological Mechanisms in Animal Communication (eds: Bee, M; Miller, C). Book series Animal Signals and Communication (series eds: McGregor, PK and Janik, VM). Springer International Publishing, New York, p. 89-118. Link

Ponnath, A and Farris H.E. (2014). Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs. Front. Neural Circuits 8:85. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00085 Link

Imaizumi, K., Shih, J.Y. and Farris, H.E. (2013) Global hyper-synchronous spontaneous activity in the developing optic tectum. Scientific Reports doi:10.1038/srep01552 (nature.com link)

Lentz, J., Jodelka, F, Hinrich, A., McCaffrey, K., Farris, H.E., Spalitta, M., Bazan, N., Duelli, D., Rigo, F., Hastings, M. (2013) Rescue of hearing and vestibular function by antisense oligonucleotides in a mouse model of human deafness. Nature Medicine  doi:10.1038/nm.3106 Link

Press and editorials for Lentz et al.:

Ponnath, A., Hoke, K. and Farris, H.E. (2013) Stimulus change detection in phasic auditory units in the frog midbrain: frequency and ear specific adaptation. Journal of Comparative Physiology A doi:10.1007/s00359-013-0794-x Link

Jones, P., Farris, H.E., Page, R., Ryan, M. (2013) Do frog-eating bats perceptually bind the complex components of frog calls? Journal of Comparative Physiology A doi: 10.1007/s00359-012-0791-5 Link

Akre, K.L., Farris, H.E., Lea, A.M., Page, R.A., and Ryan, M.J. (2011) Signal perception in frogs and bats and the evolution of mating signals. Science. 333 (6043):751-2. Link

Press and editorials for Akre et al.:

 

Farris, H.E., and Ryan, M.J. (2011) Relative comparisons of call parameters enable auditory grouping in frogs. Nature Communications. Vol. 2: doi: 10.1038/ncomms1417. Link

Ponnath, A. and Farris, H.E. (2010) Calcium-dependent control of temporal processing in an auditory interneuron: a computational analysis. Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 196: 613–628. Link

Lentz, L. Gordon W.C. Farris, H.E.,  MacDonald, G. Robbins, C.A., Tempel, B.L., Bazan, N.G., Rubel, E., Oesterle, E., Keats, B. (2010) Deafness and retinal degeneration in a novel USH1C knock-in mouse model. Developmental Neurobiology, 70:253-67. Link

Farris, H.E., Oshinsky, M., Forrest, T., and Hoy, R.R. (2008) Auditory sensitivity of an acoustic parasitoid (Emblemasoma sp., Sarcophagidae, Diptera) and the calling behavior of potential hosts. Brain , Behavior and Evolution, 72:16-26. Link

Farris, H.E., Wells, G.B. and Ricci, A.J. (2006) Steady-state adaptation of mechanotransduction modulates the resting potential of auditory hair cells, providing an assay for endolymph [Ca²⁺]. Journal of Neuroscience.26, 12526-12536. Link

Farris, H.E., Rand, A.S. and Ryan, M.J. (2005) The effects of time, space and spectrum on auditory grouping in túngara frogs. Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 191, 1173-1183. Link

Farris, H.E., and Ricci, A.J. (2005) Voltage-clamp errors cause anomalous interaction between independent ion channels.Neuroreport,16, 943-947. Link

Witte, K., Farris, H.E., Ryan, M. and Wilczynski, W. (2005) How cricket frog females deal with a noisy world: habitat-related differences in auditory tuning.Behavioral Ecology, 16, 571–579. Link

Farris, H.E., LeBlanc, C.L., Goswami, J. and Ricci, A.J. (2004) Probing the pore of the auditory hair cell mechanotransducer channel in turtle. Journal of Physiology, 558.3, 769-792. Link

Wyttenbach, R. and Farris, H.E. (2004) Insect psychoacoustics. Microscopy Research and Technique, 63, 375-387. Link

Farris, H.E., Mason, A.C. and Hoy, R.R. (2004) Identified auditory neurons in the cricket Gryllus rubens: temporal processing in calling song sensitive units. Hearing Research,193, 121-133. Link

Farris, H.E., Rand, A.S. and Ryan, M.J. (2002). The effects of spatially separated call components on phonotaxis in túngara frogs: Evidence for auditory grouping.Brain, Behavior and Evolution.60, 181-188. Link

Farris, H.E., and Hoy, R.R. (2002) Two-tone suppression in the cricket, Eunemobius carolinus (Gryllidae, Nemobiinae). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America,111, 1475-1485. Link

Farris, H.E.,and Hoy, R.R. (2000). Ultrasound sensitivity in the cricket, Eunemobius carolinus (Gryllidae, Nemobiinae). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107, 1727-1736. Link

Farris, H.E., Forrest, T.G. and Hoy, R.R. (1998). The effect of ultrasound on the attractiveness of acoustic mating signals. Physiological Entomology, 23, 322-328. Link

Farris, H.E., Forrest, T.G. and Hoy, R.R. (1997). The effects of calling song spacing and intensity on the attraction of flying crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Nemobiinae). Journal of Insect Behavior, 10, 639-653. Link

Forrest, T.G., Read, M.P., Farris H.E., and Hoy R.R. (1997). A tympanal hearing organ in scarab beetles. Journal of Experimental Biology, 200, 601-606. Link

Forrest, T.G., Farris, H.E. and Hoy, R.R. (1995). Ultrasound acoustic startle response in scarab beetles. Journal of Experimental Biology,198, 2593-2598. Link

Research

Keywords:
communication, speech, attention, complex auditory stimuli

Using the methodologies of psychophysics, neurophysiology and evolutionary biology, our research explores the underlying neural mechanisms mediating sensory acuity (i.e., stimulus detection and discrimination). Our long-range goal is to understand how components of descending circuitry contribute to the ability to communicate in noisy environments.

Field work at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

"Singing in the Rain" by Leslie Capo
Research Saves, Spring 2010

Clinical Interests

Associate Editor for Basic Science

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Associate Editor for Insect Neurobiology

Frontiers in Insect Science