|
| Current members |  |
 |
Jill Penn, Ph.D. Post-doctoral Fellow Email: jill_penn@hms.harvard.edu Tel: 617-432-1042
|
|
Broadly speaking, my major scientific interests lie in understanding how neural circuits control complex behaviors. In Ed’s lab, I am investigating a phenomenon in animal behavior known as the “Loser Effect”. A previous report from the Kravitz laboratory has demonstrated that when Drosophila males lose an initial fight, they will never win a subsequent fight 30 minutes later, if paired either with a naïve male with no previous fighting experience or with a male who won his first fight. In addition, the same group showed that losing males can recognize previous opponents because their fighting strategies are clearly different depending on if the losers are paired with familiar or unfamiliar winners. Currently I am further characterizing these behaviors and identifying genes and neural circuits responsible for these effects. |
||
Recent Publications: 1. Graham, P., Yanowitz, J., Penn, J., and Schedl, P. 2007. The translation initiation factor, eIF4E, regulates sex-specific expression of the master switch gene Sxl in Drosophila melanogaster. Submitted. 2. Penn, J., Graham, P., Deshpande G., Calhoun, C., Chaouki A., Salz, H. and Schedl, P. 2007. Functioning of the Drosophila Wilms' Tumor 1 Associated Protein (WTAP) homolog, Fl(2)d, in Sex-lethal dependent alternative splicing. Submitted. 3. Penn, J. and Schedl, P. 2007. The master switch gene Sex-lethal promotes female development by negatively regulating the N-signaling pathway. Developmental Cell 12(2):275-86. 4. Panuganti, S., Penn, J., and Moore, K. 2003. Hepatic enzymatic synthesis and hydrolysis of CoA esters of solvent-derived oxa acids. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 17(2):76-85. Reviews: 1. Graham, P., Penn, J. and Schedl, P. 2003. Masters Change, Slaves Remain. Bioessays. Jan;25(1):1-4. 2. Penn, J., Graham, P. and Schedl, P. 2004. Alternative Splicing: Regulation of Sex Determination in Drosophila melanogaster. Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry/ editors, W.J. Lennarz, M. D. Lane. Elsevier Academic Press. 1:78-84. |