High throughput imaging and quantitative phenotyping for behavioural genomics

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Many behavioural traits, including those underlying psychiatric disorders, are heritable, but identifying the associated genes remains challenging. With the rapid development of genome sequencing technology, the bottleneck is no longer knowledge of gene variants, but an insufficient description of their impact on phenotype. Advances in imaging, computer vision, and machine learning are now converging and will make it possible to perform automatic and quantitative phenotyping at a scale commensurate with genomics. We are taking a combined experimental and computational approach using the nematode worm C. elegans as a model that will reveal genes and gene networks that control behaviour that have been missed in manual screens.Students in the lab will have the opportunity to use cutting edge imaging and analysis methods to pursue their interests in behavioural genomics and/or to contribute to the development of the next generation of phenotyping technology. There is an emphasis on discovering the molecular mechanisms of nervous system function through novel analyses of behaviours including spontaneous locomotion, feeding, collective behaviour, and decision making. Students will also have the opportunity to develop skills in molecular biology, microscopy, and/or quantitative genetics.