Paul Szyszka

Department of Zoology

University of Otago

P.O. Box 56

Dunedin 9054

New Zealand

Email: paul@szyszkalab.com

(formerly: University of Konstanz, Germany)

Google Scholar 

Researchgate

We seek to understand how the brain encodes behaviorally relevant information. To drive the full range of neural computations performed by the brain, we test the limits of perception and learning in insects using naturalistic stimuli. Currently we focus on the following questions: 

• What stimulus cues do insects use to segregate target odors from background? 
• What active smelling strategies do insects use during odor plume tracking? 
• What do insects learn about their olfactory environment during exploration and search, and how does the social context affect learning in individuals?

We address these questions in insects that have evolved to solve specific tasks, such as olfactory learning and navigation in honey bees, and we use Drosophila to test the causal relationship between neuronal activity and behavior by exploiting the genetic tools for manipulating and monitoring activity in identified neurons. The methods we use are comprised of behavioral analysis, functional imaging and electrophysiology.