Areas of Research
Modulation of Olfactory Processing
Our physiological state has a powerful influence on nervous system function at all levels of processing. The time of day, feeding status and previous experience are all examples of physiological contexts that alter whether, and in what manner, animals respond to incoming information. One mechanism by which the nervous system alters its own activity to cope with changes in physiological context is via neuromodulation, the alteration of neuron response properties without directly inducing excitation or inhibition. By studying the physiological consequences of neuromodulation on olfactory processing in the antennal lobe (the first synapse of the insect olfactory system), my goal is to identify mechanisms implemented by the nervous system to account for physiological context.
Evolution of the Insect Brain
The explosion of insect diversity over evolutionary time has provided a laboratory in which natural selection has implemented manipulations for us. We can use comparative neuroanatomy to determine which traits represent principles of brain function and which traits represent adaptations necessary for survival in a specific environment or to take advantage of a particular resource. By comparing neuroanatomical features of the brain across insect taxa, my goal is to reveal traits that represent fundamental characteristics of the nervous system as well as adaptations that underlie the staggering behavioral complexity of insects.
Our physiological state has a powerful influence on nervous system function at all levels of processing. The time of day, feeding status and previous experience are all examples of physiological contexts that alter whether, and in what manner, animals respond to incoming information. One mechanism by which the nervous system alters its own activity to cope with changes in physiological context is via neuromodulation, the alteration of neuron response properties without directly inducing excitation or inhibition. By studying the physiological consequences of neuromodulation on olfactory processing in the antennal lobe (the first synapse of the insect olfactory system), my goal is to identify mechanisms implemented by the nervous system to account for physiological context.
Evolution of the Insect Brain
The explosion of insect diversity over evolutionary time has provided a laboratory in which natural selection has implemented manipulations for us. We can use comparative neuroanatomy to determine which traits represent principles of brain function and which traits represent adaptations necessary for survival in a specific environment or to take advantage of a particular resource. By comparing neuroanatomical features of the brain across insect taxa, my goal is to reveal traits that represent fundamental characteristics of the nervous system as well as adaptations that underlie the staggering behavioral complexity of insects.
