Yehuda Ben-Shahar, MSC, PhD

Associate Professor of Biology

Washington University in St. Louis (WU)

We study the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity at different time scales by using the powerful genetic model, Drosophila melanogaster. We currently focus our attention on the activity of G-protein coupled receptors, ion channels, and ion transporters in the peripheral and central nervous systems, as well as non-neuronal sensory organs. We ask where, when, and how the function of specific genes is affecting behavioral plasticity and the behavioral response to environmental and social stimuli.