How does an organism decide what to eat, what to avoid, and how to translate sensory information into long-term physiological outcomes?
At the Intelligence Genetics Lab, we address this fundamental question by dissecting the neural and molecular architecture of sensory systems using Drosophila melanogaster.

Our research focuses on how taste cues are detected, encoded, and routed through dedicated neural circuits to drive either attractive or aversive behaviors. By combining anatomical precision with molecular genetics, we map sensory inputs from the labellum and pharyngeal taste organs to defined receptor neurons expressing ionotropic receptors (IRs), gustatory receptors (GRs), and TRP channels. These molecular gatekeepers transform chemical signals—such as bitter compounds, acids, fatty acids, and toxins—into structured neural activity patterns.

Beyond sensory coding, we explore how ion channels function as integrative gates, linking sensory perception to systemic physiology. Through gut–brain–neuroendocrine axes, these channels regulate feeding decisions, lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, and behavioral state. This systems-level approach allows us to connect single-neuron activity to whole-organism outcomes.

Importantly, our work extends into disease-relevant biology. By leveraging Drosophila models of neurodegeneration, including pathways associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, we investigate how sensory and metabolic dysfunction intersect with neuronal decline. In parallel, we study chemical ecology and toxicology, revealing the evolutionary logic behind avoidance of environmental toxins and insecticides.

By integrating genetic tools, behavioral assays, electrophysiology, and functional circuit mapping, the Intelligence Genetics Lab aims to uncover general principles by which sensory systems shape physiology, behavior, and health.

From molecules to circuits, from sensation to survival.