People
Carolina Rezaval- Group leader
Carolina was born in Patagonia, Argentina. She received a Masters and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Buenos Aires. During her Ph.D. in the lab of Fernanda Ceriani, she identified genes underlying neurodegeneration, ultimately affecting circadian behaviour in Drosophila. She did her post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford, where she studied the genetic and neural basis of innate sexual behaviours in Drosophila. As a BBSRC researcher co-investigator with Prof. Stephen Goodwin at Oxford, she studied how the brain differs between the sexes, and how these differences explain distinct behaviours shown by male and female flies. Carolina has been appointed Birmingham Fellow and has started her independent research group in April 2018. She lectures and supervises in Neurobiology. Watch a 3 minute video about Carolina's past work here.
Carolina Rezaval- Group leader
Carolina was born in Patagonia, Argentina. She received a Masters and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Buenos Aires. During her Ph.D. in the lab of Fernanda Ceriani, she identified genes underlying neurodegeneration, ultimately affecting circadian behaviour in Drosophila. She did her post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford, where she studied the genetic and neural basis of innate sexual behaviours in Drosophila. As a BBSRC researcher co-investigator with Prof. Stephen Goodwin at Oxford, she studied how the brain differs between the sexes, and how these differences explain distinct behaviours shown by male and female flies. Carolina has been appointed Birmingham Fellow and has started her independent research group in April 2018. She lectures and supervises in Neurobiology. Watch a 3 minute video about Carolina's past work here.
Laurie Cazale- Postdoctoral Researcher
Laurie obtained a Research Master in Neuroscience, Cognition and Behaviour from the University of Toulouse. Her scientific interests have focused on understanding how sensory and social experiences occurring during early developmental stages impact the expression of social behaviours in arthropods. For her PhD, Laurie joined the lab of Jean-François Ferveur, University of Burgundy, Dijon, where she addressed this question using Drosophila as a model organism. Taking advantage of sophisticated neurogenetic tools available in fruit flies, she studied changes in adult behaviour following exposure to pheromones during larval stages. As a postdoc in the lab of Carolina Rezaval, she is looking to deepen her understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying behavioural decisions.
Laurie obtained a Research Master in Neuroscience, Cognition and Behaviour from the University of Toulouse. Her scientific interests have focused on understanding how sensory and social experiences occurring during early developmental stages impact the expression of social behaviours in arthropods. For her PhD, Laurie joined the lab of Jean-François Ferveur, University of Burgundy, Dijon, where she addressed this question using Drosophila as a model organism. Taking advantage of sophisticated neurogenetic tools available in fruit flies, she studied changes in adult behaviour following exposure to pheromones during larval stages. As a postdoc in the lab of Carolina Rezaval, she is looking to deepen her understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying behavioural decisions.
Saloni Rose- Darwin PhD student
Saloni is from Kalpakkam, a small town in southern coast in India. She obtained her BS-MS degree from Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, Mohali. For her master's thesis, she worked on transcription factor CRH-1/CREB-1 and its role in long term memory formation. More broadly, she wants to understand neural circuits underlying complex animal behaviour and decision making. Saloni was awarded a Darwin fellowship to do a PhD in the lab focused on understanding how bacterial infections affect mate choice decisions in fruit flies.
Saloni is from Kalpakkam, a small town in southern coast in India. She obtained her BS-MS degree from Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, Mohali. For her master's thesis, she worked on transcription factor CRH-1/CREB-1 and its role in long term memory formation. More broadly, she wants to understand neural circuits underlying complex animal behaviour and decision making. Saloni was awarded a Darwin fellowship to do a PhD in the lab focused on understanding how bacterial infections affect mate choice decisions in fruit flies.
Lauren Blackburn- Research Technician
Lauren graduated from the University of Worcester with a BSc in Human Biology and from the University of York with an MSc by Research in Neuroscience, supervised by Sean Sweeney and William Brackenbury. During her MSc, Lauren investigated the function of tipE, a putative Drosophila orthologue of the mammalian voltage-gated sodium channel β1 subunit. This was achieved by evaluating Drosophila mutants in both behavioural and electrophysiological assays.
Lauren graduated from the University of Worcester with a BSc in Human Biology and from the University of York with an MSc by Research in Neuroscience, supervised by Sean Sweeney and William Brackenbury. During her MSc, Lauren investigated the function of tipE, a putative Drosophila orthologue of the mammalian voltage-gated sodium channel β1 subunit. This was achieved by evaluating Drosophila mutants in both behavioural and electrophysiological assays.
Jacob Moorse- Research Technician
Jacob graduated from the University of South Wales with a BSc in Biology, during his studies he investigated how Dugesia lugubris large tissue regeneration was affected by electrical fields. This was achieved by immunofluorescent staining of stem cells after varying time periods exposed to the electrical field. After his studies Jacob worked on a project at Aston University creating a TB novel drug discovery process using Drosophila as a host organism.
Jacob graduated from the University of South Wales with a BSc in Biology, during his studies he investigated how Dugesia lugubris large tissue regeneration was affected by electrical fields. This was achieved by immunofluorescent staining of stem cells after varying time periods exposed to the electrical field. After his studies Jacob worked on a project at Aston University creating a TB novel drug discovery process using Drosophila as a host organism.
Sherry Cheriyamkunnel- MRes student
Sherry was awarded the Genetics Society Summer Studentship Award to investigate the presence of translating ribosomes in the transcription sites of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe with Dr Saverio Brogna. Her research project with Dr Carolina Rezaval focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying behavioural conflicts in the fruit fly Drosophila.
Sherry was awarded the Genetics Society Summer Studentship Award to investigate the presence of translating ribosomes in the transcription sites of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe with Dr Saverio Brogna. Her research project with Dr Carolina Rezaval focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying behavioural conflicts in the fruit fly Drosophila.
George Yerou- MRes student
George attained his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester. Here he developed a keen interest in behaviour and cognition, exploring this area from a multitude of both mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives. In the Rezaval lab he will be studying how sex and reproduction shape the brain and behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster.
George attained his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester. Here he developed a keen interest in behaviour and cognition, exploring this area from a multitude of both mechanistic and evolutionary perspectives. In the Rezaval lab he will be studying how sex and reproduction shape the brain and behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster.
Rakish, Gohel- MIBTP rotation student
Raksha graduated from the University of Warwick with an integrated Master’s in Biomedical Science (MBio). During her Master’s she worked on autophagy and lipid metabolism, using Drosophila as a model organism. As a PhD student she will be looking at that basis of neurodegeneration in flies in the lab of Dr Ioannis Nezis, and is doing a mini-project in the Rezaval lab to investigate decision-making in flies to learn new techniques for her PhD.
Raksha graduated from the University of Warwick with an integrated Master’s in Biomedical Science (MBio). During her Master’s she worked on autophagy and lipid metabolism, using Drosophila as a model organism. As a PhD student she will be looking at that basis of neurodegeneration in flies in the lab of Dr Ioannis Nezis, and is doing a mini-project in the Rezaval lab to investigate decision-making in flies to learn new techniques for her PhD.
Mike Winstanley- PhD student (from June 2020)
During his studies at the University of Sussex (BSc-MSc), Mike became interested in how decisions are made by the brain and reflected in their neural activity. His MSc research project focussed on understanding how different behaviours can be employed to make an appropriate decision. By using ants with a defined social structure, the decision made by each ant became conflicted between the needs of the individual and the needs of the colony. As a PhD student, Mike is looking to further understand the fundamentals of how the brain chooses the correct action based on the computations of neural circuits, implicated in decision-making.
During his studies at the University of Sussex (BSc-MSc), Mike became interested in how decisions are made by the brain and reflected in their neural activity. His MSc research project focussed on understanding how different behaviours can be employed to make an appropriate decision. By using ants with a defined social structure, the decision made by each ant became conflicted between the needs of the individual and the needs of the colony. As a PhD student, Mike is looking to further understand the fundamentals of how the brain chooses the correct action based on the computations of neural circuits, implicated in decision-making.
Past Lab members
Catherine Butterfield- MSci student
As a Msci student, Catherine focused on investigating how internal states affect behavioural decisions.
