I am interested in how a nervous system can produce changes in behaviors that are required at different times during an animal's life. My studies focus on the foregut of an insect, the moth Manduca sexta . The limited number of neurons and the relative simplicity of the behaviors they control makes the FG especially amenable to an analysis of its neural circuitry. The FG is activated by the peptide eclosion hormone at critical times during the insect's periodic molts.
Foregut activity is altered in Manduca larvae that are parasitized by a wasp.
This effect is mediated by increases in blood levels of the neurohormone octopamine. Contact Information Contact Carol I. Miles, S3, G40, ext. Types of Research Experience Available Students will be able to participate in such projects as administering drugs and assessing their effects on behavior, identifying neurons in the FG and following them through development, and assessing the effects of hormones or drugs on the activity of neurons in the ganglion. They can acquire such skills as microdissection, staining of neurons, analysis of behavior, and some neurophysiological techniques. Prerequisites Ideally, students should have taken or be taking a course in neurobiology such as BIOL 313 or PSYC 362, although motivated students may speak with me about the possibility of working in the lab before taking these courses.