The University of Arizona: College of Science Lecture Series – From Fruit Flies to Future Cures: How Tiny Insects are Driving Big Discoveries in Brain Science

Insects outnumber humans by billions and predated us on earth. While we diverged early in the evolutionary tree, we still share a vast majority of our genetic sequences, making studies of the insect nervous system insightful for understanding the building blocks of learning, memory, motion, aggression, and development of complex organs like the brain.

In this talk, Dr. Martha Bhattacharya will explain how scientists use fruit flies to uncover fundamental tenets of how the brain responds to injury, disease, and stress. In the process, she will describe how her work in flies has identified new genetic pathways involved in dermatitis, epilepsy, and cancer. In the future, insect studies could also provide information on how to survive in a warming world. Get your free tickets here.