DR. ZACHARY W. BELL, PH.D.    

BACKGROUND AND AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Born in 1988 and raised in Tennessee, USA, Bell grew up surrounded by animals—a childhood that sparked a lifelong passion for understanding and protecting them. From an early age, he was captivated by animal behavior, a curiosity that ultimately shaped his professional path.

Bell studied biology as an undergraduate, with an interest in the neural basis of natural behavior (neuroethology). His early research experiences involved a diverse range of animals, each offering unique insights into behavior. At the University of Memphis, he studied biochemical responses to social hierarchy dynamics in the long-lived Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) and seasonal changes in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he studied feeding behaviors in the California sea hare (Aplysia californica). Later, at Columbia University, he studied courtship communication behaviors across 20+ species of African clawed frogs (Xenopus). After these research experiences, his academic journey took him to England for his PhD and Japan for his Postdoc, where he investigated how social experience shapes brain function using the songbird model organism (Taeniopygia guttata).

Seeking to fund his research independently and move away from traditional academic grants, Bell made a bold transition into the startup world. His first startup was successful in technology transfer, while his second startup continues to sell products across Japan.

In 2020, Bell combined his scientific expertise and entrepreneurial experience to focus on turtle conservation, with a special interest in the Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica)—a threatened species native to Okinawa. After encountering this turtle in the wild, Bell recognized it as the perfect research subject: behaviorally fascinating and in urgent need of conservation efforts. This realization inspired him to co-found the Okinawa Kame Centre, a nonprofit dedicated to turtle conservation.

Today, turtles are at the centre of Bell’s research and are his Ikigai (生きがい). Their unique biology serves as a unifying thread, connecting his broad scientific and professional interests while providing a foundation for addressing pressing conservation challenges.