SICB Division of Neurobiology, Neuroethology, and Sensory Biology (DNNSB)

DNNSB Researchers Database Entry

Michael Baltzley Behavior and neurobiology of gastropods and leeches

I am interested in how nervous systems evolve to create novel behavioral patterns. My research focus is largely on locomotion in gastropods and sensory neurons in leeches. The research projects in my lab typically involve quantifying animal behavioral patterns in different species, identifying neurons that underlie those behaviors, and ultimately comparing the features of those neurons in different species. However, I have recently had students take on a variety of new projects including studies of the orientation abilities of fruit flies and the gut microbiome of terrestrial gastropods.