Understanding how the brain uses timing to see movement
Dissecting the roles of timing in a canonical neural computation
This project explores how brain cells use precise timing to detect motion, using fruit flies as a model to understand vision.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132823 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our brains are incredibly good at seeing things move, which helps us navigate and react to our surroundings. This project focuses on how brain cells, or neurons, use tiny differences in timing to process visual information and detect motion. By studying fruit flies, which have similar basic visual systems to mammals, we can use advanced genetic tools to pinpoint exactly how these timing mechanisms work. The goal is to uncover the fundamental ways visual circuits in the brain compute movement.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve human patients, but future studies building on this knowledge may seek individuals with visual processing disorders or specific types of blindness.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate therapeutic interventions would not directly benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these basic mechanisms of motion detection could one day help us develop new ways to address conditions affecting vision, such as blindness.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific mechanisms of timing in motion detection are still being uncovered, the fruit fly is a well-established model for understanding fundamental neuroscience principles.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clark, Damon Alistair — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Clark, Damon Alistair
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.