LinkedIn Profile — Dr. Eleanora Voss
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Dr. Eleanora Voss, PhD
Research Director | Cross-Species Cognitive Enhancement | Avian Intelligence Specialist
North Platte, Nebraska, United States
500+ connections
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: eleanora-voss.github.io
Current Position
Research Director
North Platte Research Initiative (NPRI)
March 2022 – Present · 4 years
North Platte, Nebraska
Leading independent research on cross-species cognitive enhancement and emergent communication behaviors in avian populations. Managing field research operations, data collection protocols, and cross-institutional collaborations.
- Established long-term observation protocols for wild parakeet colonies
- Developing theoretical frameworks for cross-species viral vector applications
- Currently conducting field work (limited availability)
Skills: Virology · Avian Cognition · Field Research · Research Design · Data Analysis
Previous Positions
Adjunct Research Fellow
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Biological Sciences
September 2019 – February 2022 · 2 years 6 months
Lincoln, Nebraska
Conducted independent research on viral vector applications in avian neural tissue. Taught graduate seminar “Animal Minds: Beyond Anthropomorphism.”
- Published 2 papers on adenoviral tropism in avian systems
- Supervised 3 PhD students
- Secured NSF grant for BDNF modulation studies
Assistant Professor → Associate Professor
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology
August 2007 – August 2019 · 12 years
Lincoln, Nebraska
Tenure-track position focusing on comparative cognition and animal behavior. Research program on parrot intelligence, tool use, and social learning.
- 12 peer-reviewed publications
- 2 NSF grants, 1 NIH R21
- Teaching: Animal Cognition, Research Methods, Statistics
Postdoctoral Researcher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGovern Institute
September 2003 – July 2007 · 4 years
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research on viral vector delivery systems for neural applications. Collaboration between the Tonegawa Lab (neuroscience) and the Langer Lab (drug delivery).
- Developed novel capsid modifications for neural tropism
- 4 co-authored publications
- Transitioned focus from mammalian to avian applications
Education
Cornell University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Zoology — Avian Cognition
1998 – 2003
Dissertation: “Social Learning and Innovation in Juvenile Parrots: Individual Differences and Environmental Constraints”
- Advisor: Dr. Peter Marler
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Cornell University
Bachelor of Science, Zoology
1994 – 1998
Honors Thesis: “Vocal Learning in Captive-Bred Parakeets: A Developmental Study”
- Magna Cum Laude
- Phi Beta Kappa
Summary
I’m a cognitive biologist who studies how minds work — especially minds that aren’t human. After two decades in traditional academia (Cornell, MIT, UNL), I left the tenure track in 2019 to pursue questions that don’t fit neatly into departmental boundaries.
My work bridges ornithology, virology, and cognitive science. I started out asking standard questions about animal intelligence: Can birds use tools? Do they have theory of mind? How do they learn their songs? But over time, I became more interested in a different question: What happens when entirely different kinds of minds try to communicate?
This led me to viral vector research — the technology that lets us safely deliver genetic material to neural tissue. Originally developed for human therapeutics, these tools have fascinating potential for cross-species applications. I’m not interested in making animals “smarter” in human terms. I’m interested in understanding what enhanced avian cognition might look like on its own terms — what a truly bird-like intelligence could become.
I run the North Platte Research Initiative, a small independent research station in western Nebraska. It’s an unusual location for this kind of work, but the specific parakeet populations here present unique research opportunities. Plus, I grew up in Nebraska. There’s something fitting about doing cutting-edge cognitive research surrounded by cornfields.
My approach tends toward the unconventional. I believe the most interesting discoveries happen at the edges of disciplines, where the usual rules don’t quite apply. I’m comfortable with ambiguity, comfortable with questions that don’t have answers yet, and comfortable with research that makes some people uncomfortable.
Currently in extended field work. If I don’t respond to your message, it’s not personal — I’m probably in a blind somewhere, watching birds be smarter than me.
Note: I’m not currently seeking new positions or collaborations. My focus is entirely on completing our current field study. If you have questions about the research, the best source is our project site at kbird.ai.
Skills
Top Skills:
- Cognitive Science · Behavioral Neuroscience · Viral Vectors
- Avian Cognition · Research Design · Data Analysis
- Scientific Writing · Grant Writing · Field Research Methods
- Cross-Species Communication · Animal Ethics
Additional Skills:
- Python, R, MATLAB
- Neuroanatomy · Gene Expression Analysis
- Social Learning Theory · Vocal Learning
- Computational Biology · Machine Learning (basic)
Featured
🌐 ResearchGate Profile
My academic publications and preprints
researchgate.net/profile/eleanora-voss
🐦 KBIRD Project
Cross-species cognitive enhancement research portal
kbird.ai
Currently hosting our field observations database and research updates.
🏨 The Motel
Personal project on cognitive resilience and threshold states
the-motel.org
A side interest: exploring how minds maintain coherence under transformation. Not strictly scientific, but relevant to my work on cognitive enhancement ethics.
📄 “Cross-Species Cognitive Enhancement via Engineered Viral Vectors”
Latest manuscript — in preparation for journal submission
Internal document MABI-2025-NE-28409296
Honors & Awards
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (1999–2003)
- UNL Distinguished Teaching Award (2014)
- Society for Comparative Cognition Early Career Award (2010)
- Cornell University Zoology Department Prize (1998)
Volunteer Experience
Scientific Advisor
Nebraska Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
2010 – 2019
Advised on care protocols for injured corvids and parrots. Developed cognitive enrichment programs for long-term residents.
Recommendations
Dr. Samuel Chen, MIT
”Eleanora brings a rare combination of rigorous methodology and creative thinking to her research. Her willingness to pursue unconventional questions has led to genuinely novel findings.”
Dr. Katherine Morrison, UNL
”Working with Eleanora challenged everything I thought I knew about animal cognition. She’s not afraid to go where the data leads, even when it leads somewhere strange.”
Activity
Last post: January 15, 2026
”Entering extended field work period. Will be largely offline until further notice. If you need to reach me urgently, use the contact protocol established with NPRI. Otherwise — see you on the other side of this.”
338 followers · Following 142
“The boundary between species is a threshold, not a wall. I’m interested in what happens when we start treating it that way.”