Behaviour
Neuroethology refers to the study of animal
behaviour and its underlying neuronal mechanisms. Aiming to
unravel how the nervous system processes cognitive functions
and controls animal behaviour, the laboratory uses the
zebrafish and the Astyanax mexicanus larvae as the
experimental models and a multidisciplinary approach,
including two-photon calcium imaging and light-sheet
microscopy (SPIM) to monitor the dynamics of large neuronal
networks and even the whole brain, behavioural essays,
optogenetics to monitor and manipulate the activity of
specific neurons or entire circuits, and mathematical methods
for the analysis of high-dimensional large datasets.It is the
combination of disciplines, and the use of an intact behaving
animal model that enables deciphering complex neuroethological
questions such as perception of time, decision making, sensory
perception, the functional role of the brain's intrinsic
dynamics, and the evolution of sensory processing.
