Research Assistant Positions: Neuroscience Fruit Fly Aggression
Prof. Edward Kravitz, Harvard Medical School
fall 2019, spring 2019, and summer 2020


The Fruit Fly Fight Club at Harvard Medical School: Male and female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) fight in same sex pairings. Male fights go to higher intensity levels and end up in the formation of hierarchical relationships, while female fights commonly are at lower intensity levels and do not establish hierarchies. Our laboratory is using state of the art genetic tools that allow us to go to single identified neuron levels in brain in order to examine: the circuitry involved in triggering aggression in both sexes; and the factors important in going to higher levels of intensity of aggression during fights. We can manipulate all of these elements in freely behaving animals. Our plans for the immediate future are to record optogenetically from the neurons involved. As in all species, substances like amines (serotonin and dopamine) and peptides are important modulators of aggression. We have identified and partially worked out the circuitry involved with single pairs of serotonin neurons that facilitate going to higher levels of aggression in male fights. Requirements and Expectations: We are interested in having one or two undergraduates working with us part time during the academic year (unpaid—up to 6 hrs per week) and full time (paid) in summers on these exciting projects. Desirable prerequisites are introductory genetics and neurobiology, and we prefer students who might be interested in woking on an honors thesis in the future. To Apply: If interested please send a cv and names of potential recommenders to Dr. Edward Kravitz (George Packer Berry Professor of Neurobiology) at edward_kravitz@hms.harvard.edu. (posted 9/2019)