Discovering how evolution impacts neuronal function to create new behaviors

Sensory systems must filter and respond to the vast array of signals being produced in an

environment. An incorrect response from these signals could make finding a meal more

difficult, or worse, becoming a meal for someone else! In past and current work, we have

found that cavefish are the only known fish population that exhibits negative

photokinesis, in contrast to the highly conserved positive photokinesis observed in other

fish species. By utilizing modern genetic and neurocomputational techniques in the lab,

we were able to investigate the brain regions and neurons that cause changes in

photokinesis behavior. We are now actively investigating both the genetic causes of this

behavioral change and the molecular identity of the neurons that contribute to the

photokinesis circuit. In addition, we are currently screening other sensory systems and

building new projects to understand how sensory integration across systems can evolve!