Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

The Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB) was among the first to combine the study of animal behavior with its neural basis. Our faculty and students are dedicated to exploring a wide range of scientific topics, from single neurons and complex circuits to whole organisms and their societies. Central to our mission is the quest to unravel the profound mysteries of how nervous systems generate behavior, including the evolutionary pathways that have shaped brains and behavior over time. We believe these scientific frontiers are not just fascinating but also critical for understanding the intricacies of the brain, the least understood organ that underlies human experience. As a community we adhere to Cornell's Founding Principle of "... any person ... any study".

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Recent Stories

Two people wearing fashionable red, white and black winter clothing sit back to back on a large rock, each holding a book. They are surrounded by snow

Your January 2025 reads

This month’s featured titles – most by A&S authors – include a work of nonfiction about honeybees, a kids’ picture book, and a novel set in rural Nova Scotia.

Neuroscientist Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz wins Scialog Award

“This project sits at the cross-roads of neuroscience, ethology and artificial intelligence."

Evolution is not just survival of the fittest. It’s also survival of the luckiest — and this science proves it

Luck can change life later on. “We wanted to know,” Matthew Zipple, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Sheehan Lab in the neurobiology and behavior department at Cornell University told NPR, “if we create a society where everyone starts out with the same genetics, has access to the same resources in th...

Two mice perched on flowers and facing each other

Mice use their tongues to ‘see’ tactile targets

Cornell scientists have identified the neural pathway mice use to direct the tongue to tactile targets.

Mouse peering out of a white paper cup set in a grassy field

Small wins in early life lead to inequality in adulthood

Lucky breaks in a male mouse’s youth can lead to large advantages in adulthood, especially in groups that compete for food, territory and mates.

Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are sorted and preserved

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories, Cornell researchers have found.

MouseGoggles offer immersive look into neural activity

Thanks to their genetic makeup, their ability to navigate mazes and their willingness to work for cheese, mice have long been a go-to model for behavioral and neurological studies.

A wooden box covered with bees, with more in the air; Thomas Seeley in a t-shirt and glasses, holding a jar, is watching them.

New book explains mysteries behind bee behavior

"The take-home message from my book is that these small creatures are extremely intelligent. They may well be the most intelligent of all the insects."

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Upcoming Events

May 01

Thursday 12:30 PM

NBB Seminar Series: Kern Reeve; Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University

Biotechnology Building G01

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