Neural Circuits Underlying Drosophila Escape Behavior

Gwyneth Card is interested in the neural mechanisms and circuit architectures that underlie visually guided behavioral choices in the fly. Specifically, Card and her team study Drosophila escape behavior in ecologically relevant situations, combining high-throughput, high-resolution behavioral quantification with genetic, electrophysiological, and functional imaging techniques. Their aim is to understand the neural process involved when a fly chooses to perform a given escape behavior, to identify candidate neurons involved in coordination and choice of escape behaviors, and to link a neuron's responses directly to an action.