Researcher's Profile

  • Associate Professor
  • Shigehiro NAMIKI
  • Inclusive Design Laboratory
Tel
03-5452-5197
FAX
03-5452-5196
URL

Biography

March 2009 PhD, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. Tsukuba
April 2009 Project Research Associate, RCAST, UTokyo
January 2013 Postdoctoral Associate, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
February 2015 Research Scientist, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
January 2016 Project Lecturer, RCAST, UTokyo
September 2019 Project Associate Professor, RCAST, UTokyo
April 2020 Associate Professor, RCAST, UTokyo

Research Interests

Animal behavior can be deconstructed into a combination of low-level behavioral modules. The various behavioral repertoires observed in insects are composed of a common set of ancient modules (Dickinson, 2014, Annu Rev Entomol 59:51). So far, we have identified the following behavioral modules for insect flight: takeoff, landing, speed control, and turning maneuver. The neuronal circuit, the lateral accessory lobe (LAL), may serve a pivotal role in higher-level control by arranging these behavioral modules. The LAL has been identified as the circuit module for zigzag locomotion in the silkmoth's “mating dance.” We test the hypothesis that the zigzag module is part of an ancient toolkit utilized widely in other insects, for functions such as spatial navigation or information transfer.

Keywords

Neuroethology, Flight control, Stigmergy, Olfactory navigation, Fragrance

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