smpuglie@uw.edu
she/her

Research Lab

Brunton & Tuthill Lab

Research Overview

I am using computational approaches to study the structure and function of motor circuits in the fly ventral nerve cord (VNC, a spinal cord analog). Drosophila melanogaster is currently the most complex adult animal to have complete synapse-resolution neural wiring diagrams, called connectomes, of its brain and VNC. I use these connectome datasets as a basis for modeling neural activity in the VNC and identifying neurons for experimental recording and manipulation in real flies. I am especially interested in how premotor circuits transform coarse descending signals from the brain, like “walk forward” or “turn left,” into coordinated muscle movements. My project is currently focused on rhythm-generating networks for forward walking, but in the longer term I am also interested in incorporating a biomechanical model to simulate the closed-loop modulation of these premotor networks by proprioceptive afferents.