Rachel Wilson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Neurobiology
Harvard Medical School
Dept of Neurobiology
220 Longwood Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Telephone: 617-432-5571
Fax: 617-734-7557
E-mail: rachel_wilson@hms.harvard.edu
The goal of our research is to understand how sensory stimuli are encoded in patterns of electrical activity in the brain. As a model system for our experiments, we use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We are particularly interested in the representations of chemical (olfactory and gustatory) stimuli. We are seeking to discover how stimuli are encoded in each brain region as a function of neural connectivity, synaptic physiology, and intrinsic conductances.
We use electrophysiological techniques, particularly whole-cell patch clamp recording and extracellular single-unit recording, to record from neurons in the Drosophila brain. Using the Gal4-UAS system, we can label identified cell groups with a fluorescent marker in order to target our electrodes to specific neuronal populations. Targeted genetic manipulations are also used to test predictions about the role of specific types of neurons and conductances in forming sensory representations. Recently, we have also begun to use behavioral assays and functional imaging to complement electrophysiological methods.
For a complete listing of Rachel Wilson's publications on PubMed, click here.
Neuroscience webpage updated 12/02/2009