SURF Student in BoBI Lab

Posted on April 19, 2013

Harith Al-baldawi from the Roman Lab. Harith’s project will examine the role of dopaminergic signaling to the pars intercerebralis neurons (PI) in controlling hunger-induced exploration in Drosophila. The PI is analogous to the human hypothalamus, integrating endocrine and neural functions. These neurons also control feeding behaviors. Harith’s hypothesis is that DopR1 receptors in these neurons, through cAMP signaling, modulate hunger related behaviors such as extrinsic exploration.