Our overarching goal is to understand the principles governing how sensory information is acquired and processed, and how properties of the nervous system, body structure, and behavior interact to shape sensory feedback. We study sensory feedback used to guide flight in insects to examine these questions.
Determining stimulus features that drive responses in sensory neurons
How do neurons respond during natural wing movements? How do neurons respond when typical patterns of movement are altered?
Understanding how sensory information is transformed into behavioral outputs
How is sensory information from the wings processed and combined with other sensory inputs and decision processes to guide behavior?
Identifying principles of sparse, efficient, and robust sensor placement
Are sensory structures positioned in particularly informative or robust locations? Which principles from animal sensory systems can be translated to improve engineered systems?
