avian neuroscience

I take a cross-disciplinary and comparative approach to investigate mechanisms of sensory signal processing and sensorimotor control, drawing on techniques from systems neuroscience, neuroethology, and biomechanics. My previous research has used in vivo electrophysiological recordings, tract tracing and molecular biology techniques to identify neural specialisations in hummingbird and zebra finch sensory systems that support their individual flight demands  (10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.076, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.11.041, 10.1002/cne.24697, 10.1152/jn.00437.2021).

Visual motion processing neurons have unique properties in hummingbirds

A type of retinal cell projects to an important motion processing region of the brain in birds

Here we added data to the debate over whether certain retinal cells project to an important visual motion processing brain region… it turns out they do in most, if not all, birds.