Chana Akins, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
219 Kastle Hall
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0044

Office Phone: 859.257.1103
E-mail: ckakin1@uky.edu

Research Interests
I received my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology in 1994 from the University of Texas, under the supervision of Michael Domjan. My dissertation research was on the conditioned anticipatory responses of male Japanese quail during sexual behavior. From 1994-1996, I continued this line of research as a postdoctoral fellow here at the University of Kentucky. I was hired as faculty after completion of my postdoctoral position, and am currently an Associate Professor.
The overall goal of my research has been to contribute to the understanding of learning mechanisms involved in motivated behaviors, in particular sexual behavior and drug-taking behavior. Both of these behaviors are heavily influenced by specific stimuli in the environment. Therefore, the main focus of my behavioral research has been on how various cues come to control and modify these highly motivated behaviors. In addition, because in humans, there appears to be some relationship between drug taking behavior and risky sexual behavior, we’re interested in the causal relationship between these two motivated behaviors.
Students in my laboratory have an opportunity to acquire an intensive and enriched experience in basic behavioral research in a closely-mentored setting. While in my laboratory, students can expect to gain a strong background in the fundamentals of learning and psychopharmacology, a solid foundation of experimental design, and the establishment of a solid publication record. Emphasis on these basic skills is aimed to help students be more competitive on the job market upon graduation and is also specifically geared toward students who want to engage in more molecular and neuroscience techniques at the post-doctoral level.

Research Subjects--Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)
Japanese quail are ideally suited for our experiments in many ways. The birds readily engage in sexual behavior in the laboratory; their courtship and sexual responses are distinctive and easily identifiable; they can be maintained in reproductive readiness all year with proper photostimulation; and much is already known about the neurohormonal mechanisms of sexual behavior in this species. Japanese quail also have a well-developed visual system with color vision, unlike the rat. Because visual cues in the environment may often become associated with drug taking behavior and later lead to craving and relapse in humans, the bird model may provide us with additional information about the mechanisms of drug craving and relapse.

For more information on my research and laboratory, click here.

Collaborations
Many of our projects have encouraged and fostered interdisciplinary interactions and collaborative efforts among investigators in the Biology, Ecology, and Comparative Neurobiology (BEACON) group, the Center for Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior (CEEB), and the Integrative Neuroscience Program (INP).

Selected Publications (* indicates graduate or undergraduate student)
Akins, C. K., *Klein, E. D., & Zentall, T. R. (2002). Imitative learning in Japanese quail using a bi-directional control procedure. Animal Learning & Behavior, 30, 275-281.
Akins, C.K., *Levens, N,. & *Bakondy, H. (2002). The role of static features of males in the mate choice behavior of female Japanese quail. Behavioural Processes, 58, 97-103.
*Levens, N., & Akins, C. K. (2001). Cocaine induces place preference and locomotor activity in male domesticated quail (Coturnix japonica). Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 68, 71-80.
Akins, C. K. (2000). Constraints on the sexually conditioned response in male Japanese quail: Effects of the CS and CS-US interval. Learning & Motivation, 31, 211-235.

Interactive Online Articles
Akins, C. K. & Burns, M. Visual control of sexual behavior. In R. Cook (Ed.), Avian Visual Cognition. http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/avc/akins/default.htm
Zentall, T. R., & Akins, C. K. Imitation in animals: Evidence, functions, and mechanims. In R. Cook (Ed.), Avian Visual Cognition. http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/avc/zentall/default.htm


Last updated: November 30, 2005