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Neuroscience and Behaviour
The Department of Biology has a strong, high profile, and well funded focus on Neuroscience that is closely integrated into the Neuroscience and Behaviour Research Theme within the College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology.
Three research groups headed by Dr Tom Matheson, Dr Jonathan McDearmid and Dr Ted Gaten contain around 12 research staff, graduate students and technicians, with funding from BBSRC, NERC and the Royal Society.
McDearmid Group
Work in Dr McDearmid’s lab aims to determine how functional networks are assembled from groups of developing nerve cells in the immature spinal cord. For example, what signals regulate the growth and connectivity of motor nerve cells? How do the properties of nerve cells change as they develop and how does the electrical activity they produce affect patterns of connectivity between cells within the network? The group addresses these important questions in the zebrafish, which provides a powerful model system for studying nervous system development and function.
- Dr Jonathan McDearmid: staff profile
- Dr McDearmid's research: Development of locomotor circuitry in zebrafish
Matheson Group
Work in Dr Matheson’s group sets out to determine how the nervous system controls aimed limb movements. For instance, how do motor signals that cause muscle contractions interact with the biomechanical properties of muscles, tendons and joints to produce effective movements? This work is carried out in insects, which provide the opportunity to analyse very precisely how individual nerve cells contribute to the control of such movements.
Gaten Group
Dr Gaten’s research is focussed on circadian neurobiology. Research carried out in collaboration with Matheson investigates changes in neuronal function of locusts as they transform from their normally solitary form into the gregarious form that creates economically devastating swarms. For instance, how does the visual system change to support peaks of activity at different times of the day or night? Other research investigates patterns of daily activity in Antarctic and Arctic krill.
Facilities and modules
Neuroscience and Behaviour research in the Department is supported by excellent facilities including fresh-water tank rooms, insect breeding rooms and a wide range of electrophysiology, microscopy and behavioural analysis equipment.
Our research directly informs our teaching in modules including:
- BS-1003 Cell and Developmental Biology
- BS-2025 Developmental Biology
- BS-2066 Behavioural Neurobiology
- BS-3064 Comparative Neurobiology
Final-year students can carry out practical research projects in the neuroscience labs.
