Joseph Garner
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor - Med Center Line, Comparative Medicine
- Associate Professor - Med Center Line (By courtesy), Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 725-5850
Professional Overview
Honors and Awards
- Pravin N. Bhatt Young Investigator Award, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (2012)
- Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation - Indiana (2011)
- Professor William Russell Fellowship, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (2008-2011)
- Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy Scholar, Purdue University (2009)
- Early Achievement Award (Research), Poultry Science Association (2009)
- Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy, Purdue University (2008)
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Community and International Work
- Beautiful You MRKH Foundation
- Scientific Advisory Board, Tourette Syndrome Association, US
- Scientific Advisory Board, Trichotillomania Learning Center
- Member of editorial board, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, International
- Editorial Board, Journal of Animal Science, International
- Governing Council, International Society for Applied Ethology, International
Internet Links
Industry Relationships
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Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
The lab uses an integrated interdisciplinary approach, best described as developmental neuroethology, to address issues in human and animal well-being. The lab has a particular focus on two closely related issues: 1) Developing methods and underlying psychobiological principles to predict and prevent abnormal behavior (in animals) and mental disorder (in humans). 2) Identifying the general reasons why animal models often fail to predict human outcomes, and providing solutions to improve the efficacy and well-being of animal models. Both these issues reflect the interface between animal-based medical research, and animal well-being. The medical research community has long recognized that good well-being is good science the labs work is directed at exploring this interface, while providing tangible deliverables for the well-being of human patients and research animals.
For instance, current projects in the lab include: (on the animal wellbeing side) the optimal design and impacts of nesting enrichments on the behavior, physiology, and well-being of laboratory mice; and (on the human health side) the development of predictive biomarkers and preventative dietary interventions in a mouse model of trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling). The lab also works collaboratively on farm-animal and zoo-animal well-being issues with the colleagues around the world.
The labs work in mouse well-being was recognized recently when Dr. Garner was the inaugural awardee of the UFAW Professor William Russell Fellowship.
Dr. Garner serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Trichotillomania Learning Center, the major organisation for Trichotillomania, Compulsive Skin Picking, and related disorders.
The lab hosts www.mousebehavior.org. This international collaborative project documents the ethogram (or behavioral repertoire) of the laboratory mouse, and includes a video library, as well as protocols for recording and scoring laboratory mouse behavior in the homecage.
Publications
- Impact of nesting material on mouse body temperature and physiology. Physiol Behav. 2013: 87-95
- A system utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to monitor individual rodent behavior in complex social settings. J Neurosci Methods. 2012; (1): 74-8
- Heat or insulation: behavioral titration of mouse preference for warmth or access to a nest. PLoS One. 2012; (3): e32799
- Reverse-translational biomarker validation of Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors in mice: an illustration of the 4P's modeling approach. Behav Brain Res. 2011; (2): 189-96
- Nutritional up-regulation of serotonin paradoxically induces compulsive behavior. Nutr Neurosci. 2010; (6): 256-64
- Systematic variation improves reproducibility of animal experiments. Nat Methods. 2010; (3): 167-8
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