Dr Will Swaney
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
Email: W.T.Swaney@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 2160
Senior Lecturer in Epigenetics
I study animal social behaviour and its underlying neurobiology. I am particularly interested in how different environments and experiences affect social behaviour and how shifts in phenotype arise from changes in brain networks and neurochemistry. Social behaviour may change within the lifetime of an animal as a result of specific experiences, or related populations may differ as a result of natural selection due to differences in food availability, predation or parasites etc. However emerging evidence indicates that certain experiences and conditions can result in changes in behaviour that persist across generations through non-genetic mechanisms, and this field of behavioural epigenetics is one of my focus areas.
I use a multidisciplinary approach involving behavioural analysis, genetics, neuroscience and pharmacology to explore variation in social behaviour and the importance of inherited epigenetic changes in the expression of behavioural phenotypes.
https://sites.google.com/site/willswaney/
Degrees
2006, University of Cambridge, UK, PhD - Zoology
1999, University of Cambridge, UK, BA (Hons) - Zoology
Academic appointments
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University, 2014 - present
Research Associate, McGill University, 2012 - 2014
Post-doctoral Researcher, Utrecht University, 2009 - 2012
Post-doctoral Researcher, Columbia University, 2006 - 2009
Highlighted publications
Green MR, Swaney WT. 2023. Interacting effects of environmental enrichment across multiple generations on early life phenotypes in zebrafish Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 340 :354-365 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Reader SM. 2015. Behavioural responses of feral and domestic guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to predators and their cues Behavioural Processes, 118 :42-46 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Dubose BN, Curley JP, Champagne FA. 2012. Sexual experience affects reproductive behavior and preoptic androgen receptors in male mice Hormones and Behavior, 61 :472-478 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Curley JP, Champagne FA, Keverne EB. 2007. Genomic imprinting mediates sexual experience-dependent olfactory learning in male mice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104 :6084-6089 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Manara V, Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. Subordinate submissive responses are predicted by dominant behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish Behaviour, 160 :127-144 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
McDonald-Howard KL, Swaney WT, Barua A, Mcdonnell R, Williams CD, Jones H, Rae R. 2024. An investigation into the combination of the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and cedarwood oil to control pestiferous slugs Crop Protection, 179 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Mulkeen CJ, Gormally MJ, Swaney WT, Healy MG, Williams CD. 2023. Sciomyzidae (Diptera) Assemblages in Constructed and Natural Wetlands: Implications for Constructed Wetland Design Wetlands, 44 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Reddon AR, Swaney WT. 2023. Fellowship of the fin: Fish empathy and oxytocin Learning & Behavior, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Green MR, Swaney WT. 2023. Interacting effects of environmental enrichment across multiple generations on early life phenotypes in zebrafish Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 340 :354-365 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Morris A, Green M, Martin H, Crossland K, Swaney WT, Williamson SM, Rae R. 2018. A nematode that can manipulate the behaviour of slugs Behavioural Processes, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Swaney WT, Reader SM. 2017. Forebrain activation during social exposure in wild-type guppies Physiology and Behavior, 182 :107-113 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Walker SC, Trotter PD, Marshall A, McGlone FP. 2017. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Dargent F, Reddon AR, Swaney WT, Fussman GF, Reader SM, Scott ME, Forbes MR. 2015. Demasculinization of male guppies increases resistance to a common and harmful ectoparasite Parasitology, :1-9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Reader SM. 2015. Behavioural responses of feral and domestic guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to predators and their cues Behavioural Processes, 118 :42-46 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Lindeyer CM, Langen EMA, Swaney WT, Reader SM. 2015. Nonapeptide influences on social behaviour: effects of vasotocin and isotocin on shoaling and interaction in zebrafish BEHAVIOUR, 152 :897-915 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Dubose BN, Curley JP, Champagne FA. 2012. Sexual experience affects reproductive behavior and preoptic androgen receptors in male mice Hormones and Behavior, 61 :472-478 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT. 2011. Genomic imprinting and mammalian reproduction Hormones and Behavior, 59 :369-374 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Keverne EB. 2009. The evolution of pheromonal communication Behavioural Brain Research, 200 :239-247 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Champagne FA, Curley JP, Swaney WT, Hasen NS, Keverne EB. 2009. Paternal Influence on Female Behavior: The Role of Peg3 in Exploration, Olfaction, and Neuroendocrine Regulation of Maternal Behavior of Female Mice Behavioral Neuroscience, 123 :469-480 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Curley JP, Jordan ER, Swaney WT, Izraelit A, Kammel S, Champagne FA. 2009. The meaning of weaning: Influence of the weaning period on behavioral development in mice Developmental Neuroscience, 31 :318-331 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Swaney WT, Curley JP, Champagne FA, Keverne EB. 2008. The Paternally Expressed Gene Peg3 Regulates Sexual Experience-Dependent Preferences for Estrous Odors Behavioral Neuroscience, 122 :963-973 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney WT, Curley JP, Champagne FA, Keverne EB. 2007. Genomic imprinting mediates sexual experience-dependent olfactory learning in male mice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104 :6084-6089 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Swaney W, Kendal J, Capon H, Brown C, Laland KN. 2001. Familiarity facilitates social learning of foraging behaviour in the guppy Animal Behaviour, 62 :591-598 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Manara V, Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. Subordinate submissive responses are predicted by dominant behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish Behaviour, 160 :127-144 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Swaney WT, Keverne EB. 2011. Genomic imprinting and sexual experience-dependent learning in the mouse Clelland JD. Genomics, Proteomics, and the Nervous System :195-225 Springer. New York 978-1-4419-7197-5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url