Vanessa Ruta, Ph.D.

Research

An animal's behavioral response to its environment reflects the interplay of instinct and learning. Our lab is interested in defining the functional architecture and computational algorithms of neural circuits that govern both innate and adaptive behaviors in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We use a multidisciplinary approach including novel optical tracing techniques, intracellular and extracellular electrophysiological recordings, functional calcium imaging and quantitative behavioral assays. By exploiting the simplicity of the fly nervous system, we hope to reveal insight into the conserved principles by which circuits process sensory information and how they can be altered through learning and experience.