My lab investigates how animals sense their environment, and how they translate this information into changes in behavior and development. Current research in our lab focuses on three research areas, primarily in the C. elegans experimental system. In the first, we study how the cilia of sensory neurons acquire their unique morphologies and how these structures shape sensory signaling. In the second, we explore how environmental experience both during development and in the adult stage modulates chemosensory behaviors. In the third, we are interested in understanding how animals sense environmental temperature changes, and how these thermosensory responses are modulated by prior experience and internal state. Our lab uses multiple experimental approaches to address these questions, and is a strong believer in collaborations and open communication.
Awards and Achievements
- NIH MERIT award