Yash Sondhi

Yash Sondhi is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Kawahara Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History. He finished his PhD from the Theobald lab 2022, studying how moths and butterflies see the world, and specifically how moth eyes and brains adapted to function so well under dim light. He uses multiple techniques (genetics, animal behavior, neuroscience) to examine how different day and night flying insects’ senses (sight, hearing, smell) have evolved. As human civilization develops, artificial light is slowly eroding dark skies with disastrous consequences for animals, plants, and humans. As awareness increases that light pollution is harmful, understanding how different mitigation strategies work is crucial to implement change. Yash is now studying how light can disorient and alter the circadian activity of insects, and testing strategies to mitigate light pollution. He also helps with citizen science and insect biodiversity monitoring. He has worked on developing low-cost automated insect monitoring tools and is committed to open science.

May 2023