Research Assistant

We study how animal behavior emerges from the complex interaction amongst the animal's nervous systems, their muscle-body dynamics, and their environment. We use fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as our model organism because they perform many complex behaviors with a relatively simple brain, and because of the many genetic tools that are available in the flies. We employ a multi-pronged approach which includes in vivo whole-cell patch clamp recordings, imaging, and quantitative measurement of behavior, biomechanics and computation.Essential functions include:Understand how neural activity, muscle properties, and the relation between muscle contraction and joint movement control the movement of a fly's legs and the coordination between legs. In doing this research, the candidate will:Do high-speed videography;Do instrumentation;Make custom-holders, make sensors or combine available devices to perform data acquisition;Use machine learning methods to track the movement of the fly's body as well as its center of mass;Use mechanics to fit models of locomotion to fly walking data;Use a force sensor to measure forces from a fly's leg;Share in performing some routine jobs needed to run the lab.hiring #biomechanics #Research #neuroscienceBhandawat lab: here:

Created: 2026-05-09