PUBLICATIONS
2024
Stem cell-specific ecdysone signaling regulates the development of dorsal fan-shaped body neurons and sleep homeostasis.
This paper identifies two neural stem cells that give rise to a central brain sleep regulator in Drosophila. These dorsal fan shaped body sleep regulating neurons expresses an ecdysone induced protein and are essential for consolidating deep sleep in flies, which are critical for sleep homeostasis.
Drosophila sleep homeostasis in sickness and in health.
In this editorial, we explore how sickness can access the sleep homeostat and induce sleep and reflect on the search for its neural control. We also expand on why Drosophila has been a remarkable model system that has broadened our understanding of sleep regulation.
2023
Homeostatic control of deep sleep and molecular correlates of sleep pressure in Drosophila.
This paper identifies deep sleep as a potent regulator of sleep homeostasis in Drosophila, and shows how acute sleep loss manifests over multiple days. This paper also introduces 'yoking' as important controls to study effects of mechanical sleep deprivation. Finally, this paper suggests serotonin abundance increases in the brain after sleep loss.
2021
The Divider Assay is a high-throughput pipeline for aggression analysis in Drosophila.
In this paper I established a high-throughput behavioral assay that took advantage of machine-learning algorithms to quantify aggressive behaviors with high accuracy and specificity. I also showed that Drosophila engage in high-intensity fighting in complete darkness, and there is circadian regulation of dyadic agonistic interactions.
2020
Multivariate Analysis of Open Field Exploration Identifies Latent Spatial and Social Behavioral Axes in Domestic Dogs.
Often quantified through univariate measures, behavioral phenotypes are decidedly complex and manifest in multivariate axes. This paper highlights a analysis roadmap where multivariate data from simple behaviors can be explored, dimensionality in such datasets can be reduced, and through unsupervised learning algorithms meaningful information can be obtained.
Why the young sleep longer.
Young fruit flies get significantly more sleep than their adults. This period of heightened sleep matches periods of development associated with high brain plasticity during which neurons remodel their connections. In this commentary we highlight the discovery of a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in such developmental programming.
2017
Putative transmembrane transporter modulates higher-level aggression in Drosophila.
In this paper we highlight the importance of developmental conditions in maintaining innate behaviors like aggression. Taking a big data approach we identify a single gene whose down-regulation makes flies hyper-aggressive. This gene, coding for a putative transmembrane transporter, is critical in how fast fruit flies start fighting, and as a result win most of their fights.
2015
A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster.
A critical technical challenge in studying learning and memory associated with fighting is conducting successive experiments with minimal non-specific stress, which might affect memory recall. In this paper we designed a novel experimental assay that removes such experimental barriers. This opened up the possibility of carrying out high-throughput learning and memory experiments where the 'loser' effect formation can be studied. This approach also opened up the possibility of studying experience dependent changes in other social behaviors.
Handling alters aggression and "loser" effect formation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Using our novel social learning and memory pipeline we reported that minute differences in prior handling can have profound effects in social memory. We also observed for the first time, the presence of robust 'winner' effects where the experience of past positive outcomes greatly increases the possibility of winning subsequent fights.
2012
Evidence for discrete landmark use by pigeons during homing.
In an ecosystem that is becoming more fragmented due to human intervention, animals learn to use man-made structures in their spatial decision making. Using GPS data loggers, we show that visual landmarks form critical sources of spatial information in the navigational choice of homing pigeons.
