One of the primary
functions of nervous systems is to extract information from the
outside world and use that information to guide and coordinate behavior.
When studying a particular nervous system, it is therefore important
to consider the ecological context and evolutionary forces that
have shaped that animal's natural behavior. With this in mind, we
study weakly electric fishes as a model system for understanding
sensory coding and brain evolution. We are interested in how neural
circuits accomplish specific behavioral tasks, as well as how changes
in neural circuitry mediate evolutionary change in behavior. We
employ a wide range of techniques, including in vivo and
in vitro electrophysiology, anatomy and histology, imaging,
computational modeling, behavioral observation and playback, and
field work.