Kristyn Lizbinski

Brains assign different value to sensory cues based on current needs and general context. For example, a smell may be pleasant if you’re hungry but aversive if you’re sick. How do brains dynamically process sensory cues, like odors, based on physiological state? The Lizbinski lab examines how neural circuits perform dynamic computations that support sensory processing and behavior, with a particular focus on olfactory systems and neuromodulation.

 

Our work focuses on linking anatomical circuit connectivity, fine scale morphological properties of neurons, neuromodulator receptor expression profiles and their molecular pathways, and in vivo neurophysiology to understand how olfactory networks perform flexible computations. Using parallel molecular, computational, physiological, and behavioral techniques in the Drosophila brain, we test causal links between the activity of defined neural populations, sensory processing, and perception.

 

We bridge cellular, molecular, synaptic, and systems neuroscience and apply quantitative approaches to understand dynamic brain function with implications for both basic and translational neuroscience.