Neural Control of Behaviour

An excellent starting point for understanding animal behaviour is a tiny, free living 1mm long roundworm, called C. elegans. This animal's entire nervous system consists of a mere 302 nerve cells, hard wired and identical across individuals of the species, making it possible to study rigorously and reproducibly. The integrated modelling of C. elegans has been proposed as one of the UK's ``Grand Challenges for Computing Research'' and is the focus of ongoing efforts by mathematicians, physicists and computer scientists the world over. In this PhD, mathematical modeling will be used to construct and test models of C. elegans locomotion that integrate neural and muscular control with mechanical embodiment. The work (with Netta Cohen, PI and supervisor) will involve cutting edge mathematical neuroscience, as well as numerical analysis, dynamical systems theory and close collaboration with experimentalists for data-driven hypothesis generation, model validation and testing model predictions.