Texas Tech University

Matthew May, Ph.D. Student

Matthew May received his Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from Indiana University in 2011. While completing his Bachelor's degree he worked with rats as a STARS researcher under Dr. William Timberlake. He worked in collaboration with the Institute for Pheromone Research and the University of Sydney on projects relating to the effects of predator pheromones, namely cat and ferret odor, on rodent behavior. During this time he completed his honors thesis and subsequent published manuscript, “Rubbings deposited by s elicit defensive behaviors in rats”. After graduation he worked as a visiting researcher for the University of Sydney in Dr. Iain McGregor's lab for four months continuing pheromone projects before returning to the United States.

In January 2013 Matthew started his doctorate at Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University under Dr. John McGlone. Matthew decided upon the program because of its focus of pheromone effects on many species, not just rodents, allowing him a broader range of pheromones to study and test. His dissertation research looks primarily at semiochemicals that attract and repel rodent species with the intentions of developing environmentally friendly repellents. He also plans on looking at the effects of pheromones in cats, dogs, horses, pigs, cattle, and various insect species with commercial purposes in mind.

Matthew May

Laboratory of Animal Behavior, Physiology and Welfare