Douglas McMahon

Faculty Head

Douglas McMahon (he, him, his) is Stevenson professor of biological sciences, and director of the interdisciplinary neuroscience program. He teaches classes in neurobiology and biological clocks. His neurobiology research laboratory focuses on the systems of the brain that mediate our sense of sight, drive daily our rhythms in sleep and wake, and influence our mood; and also how the biological clock in honey bees’ underlies navigation to and from the hive. He is especially interested in enhancing undergraduate science education and research to promote inclusion and retention in the sciences, and leads Vanderbilt initiatives sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute promoting diversity in STEM. Professor McMahon came to Vanderbilt in 2002, and has been faculty head of Crawford House since 2020.