Developmental genetic basis and behavioural significance of sexually dimorphic circuits

Erika is interested in understanding how genes control the development of distinct patterns of connectivity in neural circuits and how these ultimately produce differences in animal behaviour. She will address this question in the context of a sexually dimorphic circuit responding to a male pheromone in Drosophila by combining live imaging, neuroanatomical analysis, transcriptional profiling, targeted genetic manipulations and behavioural experiments. To make this possible Erika will work with four groups: Dr Greg Jefferis at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Dr Darren Logan at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Dr Jean-Christophe Billeter at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences and Dr Oren Schuldiner at the Weizmann Institute of Science.