Rachel Parkinson

Rachel is a neuroethologist and insect brain enthusiast. She received her PhD in Biology from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, in 2019. Her research aims to understand how sensory cues are detected and processed in the insect brain, and how these cues relate to innate behaviours. With the Oxford Bee Lab, based at the Wytham Field Station, Rachel is interested in understanding what bees can taste in floral nectar and how bees use taste to guide pollination and foraging choices. Using electrophysiology and behaviour, she has explored how bees interact with pesticides and other toxic compounds in nectar, and whether bees can differentiate sugars by taste.