CSB Deptl Seminar: Prof. Tod R. Thiele, Dept of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough

CSB Departmental Seminar

Prof. Tod R. Thiele
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Toronto at Scarborough

“Neural Circuits that Mediate Visually Driven Behaviours in Larval Zebrafish”

Host: Prof. Vince Tropepe

Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

Video Conferencing at UTM (DV 4001) & UTSc (MW 229)

Abstract:

A fundamental activity of the brain is to transform sensory information into goal-directed movements. We still possess only a rudimentary understanding of how the brain performs sensorimotor transformations despite their necessity to virtually all of our daily activities. Technological advances in systems neuroscience and zebrafish research over the past decade present an unprecedented opportunity to define how brain circuitry gives rise to vertebrate behaviour. In my talk, I will describe research which identified circuits in the larval fish that underlie visually mediated behaviours. These include circuits in retinorecipient regions dedicated to prey capture as well as premotor circuitry that controls postural steering during swims. Analysis of both of these circuits supports the existence of highly modular neural architectures in zebrafish. I will also discuss future plans for my laboratory at the University of Toronto Scarborough where we will investigate circuits that govern the selection of behavioural motor programs. Lastly, I will describe a strategy that combines optogenetics with high throughput drug screening to identify compounds that modulate specific motor microcircuits in the brain.