Exploring Feature Extraction and Sensorimotor Transformations through Neural Engineering

Friday, December 4, 2015

4:00 PM-5:30 PM

BIOMED Seminar

Speaker:
Catherine von Reyn, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Janelia Research Campus
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Details:
An animal’s behavior is highly correlated with the presence of specific sensory features within its environment. Features corresponding to a food source elicit feeding behaviors, features of a suitable mate evoke courtship behaviors, and features corresponding to a predator trigger avoidance behaviors. Our knowledge on how sensory features encoded by the nervous system are integrated and translated into a behavioral response remains limited due to the difficulties in constructing a complete sensorimotor circuit (from sensory receptors to motor neurons) and in following a sensorimotor transformation through each node of the circuit.

However, a relatively small CNS (approximately 200,000 neurons) and a rich neural engineering toolkit make the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster an excellent model system to investigate sensorimotor circuits. Here, Dr. von Reyn combines neural engineering with high-throughput behavioral assays and whole-cell electrophysiology to identify, monitor, and manipulate neurons within sensorimotor circuits driving escape behaviors. Using these techniques, she uncovers how escape circuits integrate features corresponding to the angular size and speed of approaching predators to select an optimal escape strategy. For more info, please visit drexel.edu/biomed.

WATCH WEBCAST

Biosketch:

Contact Information

Ken Barbee
215.895.1335
barbee@drexel.edu