Allen Mensinger

Allen Mensinger
Professor
he/him
[email protected]
Mensinger Lab Website
Education
  • B.S. Biology, Duke University
  • Ph.D. Aquatic Biology, UC Santa Barbara
  • Post Doc Neuroscience, University of Washington, St. Louis

Areas of Interest

Bighead carp

Biography

Dr. Allen Mensinger is a Professor in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at University of Minnesota Duluth. His research is focused on neural mechanisms of behavior. Specifically, how fish detect, integrate, and respond to external cues in the environment. He and his team have developed an implantable electrode and telemetry system to record physiological signals from free swimming fish. He also has been investigating the potential of acoustic deterrents to be used against invasive bigheaded carp. Dr. Allen Mensinger and his lab are interested in how fish detect, integrate and respond to external cues. Their goal is to understand and exploit fish sensory systems to develop environmentally friendly and cost effective deterrents to invasive fishes. 

Research

Select Publications

Culotta, J. A., Ervin, M. L., Vetter, B. J., & Mensinger, A. F. (2025). Conditioning invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and H. nobilis) to enhance the efficacy of acoustic and CO2 deterrents. PLoS ONE, 20(5 May). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320395
 
Frett, M., Kozarek, J. L., Berry, A., & Mensinger, A. F. (2025). Evaluating CO2 and Sound as an Invasive Bigheaded Carp Deterrent in a Model Lock and Dam. Environmental Pollution, 126056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126056