The Wada Laboratory

The Wada Laboratory We study how animals modify their phenotypes in response to environmental cues through phenotypic flexibility and developmental plasticity.

When animals encounter environment that is new or outside of the norm, the balance between animal’s phenotype and surrounding environment is disrupted. In response, animals modify their physiology and behavior to best match the environment, often through activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. If this phenotypic plasticity takes place in parents, it may serve as a forecast of future en

vironment for developing animals through maternal effects. Early-life environments provided by parents or influenced by other factors may directly cause irreversible phenotypic change in young animals. My lab studies both transient and permanent effects of an environment on endocrine, immune, and nervous systems to understand the basis of inter-individual variation in organismal responses to stressors and how it relates to performances of the individuals.

Lab photo!! Meg, Ben, Will, and Kayla spelled WADA😄
08/29/2026

Lab photo!! Meg, Ben, Will, and Kayla spelled WADA😄

Ben published his first paper from Auburn in the Journal of Experimental Zoology!! Check out the relationship among phys...
08/10/2026

Ben published his first paper from Auburn in the Journal of Experimental Zoology!! Check out the relationship among physiological variables that changes with heat.

A recent increase in the frequency of extreme heat events has urged researchers to examine physiological responses to hot temperatures. Across species, there is variation in whether the sexes respond...

Our students, Nathan Boudreau-Kim, Gracie Bunch, Adrienne Blume-Babcock, Taylor ODell, Brooklyn Ehlers, and Danica Vo, a...
03/27/2026

Our students, Nathan Boudreau-Kim, Gracie Bunch, Adrienne Blume-Babcock, Taylor ODell, Brooklyn Ehlers, and Danica Vo, all did a great job presenting their work at the AU research symposium today!! Mentored by Ben Haussmann and Meg McGrath!!

The first sampling day for Meg's experiment!!
02/15/2026

The first sampling day for Meg's experiment!!

SICB is great, not only because of science, but for sharing fun times with friends, mentors, and students!!
01/10/2026

SICB is great, not only because of science, but for sharing fun times with friends, mentors, and students!!

Meg, Ben, Will, and Kevin shined with their presentations at SICB!!
01/07/2026

Meg, Ben, Will, and Kevin shined with their presentations at SICB!!

We had an Israeli-themed dinner lab party:)
12/12/2025

We had an Israeli-themed dinner lab party:)

This semester flew by so fast. Will Gilmour joined our lab and we did two "small" experiments where Meg and Ben worked s...
12/12/2025

This semester flew by so fast. Will Gilmour joined our lab and we did two "small" experiments where Meg and Ben worked so hard, and undergraduate researchers shone!

and we took the lab photo today:)

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Dept Of Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Science Building
Auburn, AL
36849

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