RAFAELA TAKESHITA
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology| School of Biomedical Sciences
Kent State University
Dr. Takeshita is the head of the laboratory, and serves as graduate faculty for the Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences. She obtained her doctoral degree in Biological Sciences at the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University. She is also a visiting researcher at the Federal Rural University of Amazon, where she obtained her bachelor degree in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Takeshita’s research focuses on understanding how physiological mechanisms have changed in primate evolution, primarily by exploring hormones as mediators of behavior and life history traits. Other projects incorporate the impact of environment on primate stress, health and reproductive monitoring, and neuroendocrinology of primate development.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
EMILEE HART
Doctoral Student
Department of Anthropology| School of Biomedical Sciences
Kent State University
Emilee Hart obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Oklahoma State University and her master’s degree in Anthropology at Louisiana State University. Prior to her work in the Takeshita Lab, Emilee worked for the breeding colony at the Tulane National Primate Research Center assisting with health assessments of rhesus macaques and colony management. Emilee’s research focuses on maternal investment, stress, and fitness during the lactation period of nonhuman primates through behavioral and endocrinological factors such as glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones. In addition to her research on behavioral endocrinology, Emilee’s other research includes macaque fertility rates and patterns.
GESSIANE PEREIRA
Doctoral student
Federal Rural University of Amazon
Gessiane Silva is a visiting scholar at Kent State University. She received her bachelor degree in Veterinary Medicine and a master degree in diagnostic imaging techniques at the Federal Rural University of Amazon (UFRA). She is currently a doctoral student at the graduate program of UFRA, and her research focuses on endocrine mechanisms for monitoring wildlife reproduction and stress levels. Her research interests include anatomy, physiology, ultrasonography, pharmacology and endocrinology.
MICHAEL BLISS
Master Student
Department of Anthropology
Kent State University
Michael Bliss is a master’s student and graduate assistant at Kent State University. Ensuing the completion of his undergraduate education at Temple University, he performed several husbandry and research oriented internships where he focused on the behavior and welfare of lemurs and bonobos. Before coming to Kent State University, Michael conducted research with lemurs in Madagascar, assessing their conservation and population statistics. For his master’s thesis, Michael will be traveling to the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador where he will study the behavioral endocrinology of wild spider monkeys.
Undergraduates
Abbigail Swiney
Past members
Alice Tun
Sierra Duncan
Daniel Heisterman
Drew Ulmann