Tom Clandinin

My research program uses the fruit fly Drosophila to investigate neural circuits at the cellular and molecular levels. In this context, we predominantly study circuits involved in visual processing, particularly motion detection, as well as the sensorimotor transformations that underpin visually-guided locomotion. The development of novel molecular techniques is crucial for this work. Our ongoing research encompasses three types of tools: high-speed voltage imaging using genetically encoded indicators (like those you propose to optimize) using a variety of imaging strategies, cell-type-specific gene disruption tools, and molecular perturbations of energy metabolism in the brain. In addition, we are very interested in how the molecular underpinnings of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's Disease alter neuronal function, and use the fly as a model system in which to better dissect these disorders.