Karen Menuz
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Physiology and Neurobiology
Research Summary: Our lab studies the mechanisms supporting robust responses to odors in the insect olfactory system. Currently, we are interested in how the molecular and cellular environment surrounding olfactory neurons influences their activity, and ultimately odor-driven behaviors. We take advantage of the tremendous number of genetic tools available in the fruit fly Drosophila in order to identify conserved molecules and mechanisms that likely have a similar role in insect vectors of human disease.
We are currently seeking highly motivated graduate students and postdocs who are interested in olfaction, sensory neuroscience, and cellular and molecular physiology.
