Insect research for
a better world.

About us

The Barrett Lab is a welcoming space for evidence-based and interdisciplinary entomological scholarship. Our mission is to uncover truths about insects’ experiences.

We work collaboratively with producers, ethicists, animal welfare scientists, neuroethologists, and entomologists to improve insect welfare and understand insect sensory biology.

Meghan Barrett, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology at Indiana University Indianapolis

Barrett is focused on understanding the evolution and plasticity of insects’ sensory systems and the welfare of farmed insects. She maintains an interest in thermal adaptation from her PhD and postdoctoral research days.

Barrett completed her NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology at California State University Dominguez Hills (2022-2023). She earned her Ph.D. in Biology and M.S. in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum at Drexel University in 2022. She earned her BS in Biology and English/Creative Writing from the State University of New York in 2016.

Barrett is a Co-PI of the NSF Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (NSF CEIF). She is also the Founding Director of the Insect Welfare Research Society.

Our values

We believe deeply in the RADICAL way knowledge can reshape our world.

We are careful in our search for the truth, even if it is uncomfortable or controversial. We own up to our mistakes and take accountability, knowing that this is the path to our own improvement and keeping others' trust.

We recognize our responsibility to be proactive in our approach to ethical research practices. We are lifelong, open-minded, interdisciplinary learners. We seek opportunities to grow. Each day, we recommit to doing our best.

Did you know?

Insects can have brains as big as vertebrates! The Algerian sand gecko and P. thisbe wasps each have ~1.8 million neurons. The largest insects’ brains have yet to be studied.

Meet the Team

  • Erin Atkinson

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

    Erin Atkinson is a freshman Biology major with a minor in environmental science. She is passionate about studying marine biology after her bachelor's and hopes to focus on research and conservation.

  • Janice Johnson

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

    Janice Johnson is a pre-nursing student here at IUI with a desire to become a pediatric nurse. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family.

  • Victoria Whipple

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

    Victoria Whipple is a sophomore Africana Studies major. She intends to receive an MD-PhD and research the connection between lifestyle and illness through lifestyle medicine.

  • Paloma Zacarias

    MASTERS STUDENT

    Paloma Zacarias is earning her MS in Biology after graduating from IUI with a BS in Neuroscience, a minor in Psychology, and a passion for related research. She intends to pursue a PhD or MD. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and working out.

Current Collaborators

  • Sarah Adcock

    Assistant Professor of Animal Welfare, University of Wisconsin Madison

    Reproducibility and welfare in insect research

  • Kaitlin Baudier

    Assistant Professor of BEES, University of Southern Mississippi

    Cricket welfare

  • Heather Browning

    Lecturer in Philosophy, Southhampton University

    Indicators of insect pain in the 21st century

  • Jessica Cait

    Postdoctoral Fellow, Canadian Council on Animal Care

    Reproducibility and welfare in insect research

  • Bob Fischer

    Professor of Philosophy, Texas State University

    Ethics of insect use

  • Katie Fiocca

    NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Stanford University

    Black soldier fly adult nutrition

  • Nathan Fried

    Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden

    Black soldier fly larval chronic pain

  • Matilda Gibbons

    Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

    Neurobiological evidence for insect pain

  • R. Keating Godfrey

    Postdoctoral Research Associate, Florida International University

    Evolution of insect nociceptive ion channels

  • Jay K. Goldberg

    Visiting Research Scientist, John Innes Centre

    Evolution of insect nociceptive ion channels

  • Joseph Gottlieb

    Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Texas Tech University

    Frameworks for insect sentience

  • Meredith Johnson

    Postdoctoral Fellow, North Dakota State University

    Physiological indicators of farmed insect welfare

  • Terry McGlynn

    Professor of Biology, California State University Dominguez Hills

    Reflectance of solar radiation as thermal adaptation

  • Aileen McLellan

    Postdoctoral Fellow, Canadian Council on Animal Care

    Reproducibility and welfare in insect research

  • Craig Perl

    Coordinator of Research Programming, Insect Welfare Research Society

    Ethical Insect Use Reporting in Research

  • Tom Raffel

    Associate Professor of Biology, Oakland University

    Semantic value associations in the ecological study of parasites

  • Lizzie Rowe

    Research Associate, University of Reading

    Cricket welfare

  • Alex Schnell

    Newton International Fellow, University of Cambridge

    Frameworks for insect sentience

  • Allison Shultz

    Associate Curator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

    Reflectance of solar radiation as thermal adaptation

  • Walter Veit

    Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Reading

    Indicators of insect pain in the 21st century

  • Ed Waddell

    Assistant Professor of Biology, Holy Family University

    Black soldier fly adult nutrition

Join the Lab!

We are a passionate, proactive group that values collaboration, growth, and honesty. If you love data, animal welfare, and neurobiology, explore opportunities to join our team!