Our laboratory is interested in dissecting animal behaviors that are driven by TRP channels.  We isolated the founding member of the TRP superfamily of cation channels as part of our characterization of Drosophila visual transduction, and later identified mammalian TRP channels.  We now know that the TRP superfamily is comprised of 28 mammalian channels as well as 13 Drosophila proteins, most of which play important roles in sensory physiology.  To characterize behaviors that function through TRP channels we are focusing on the fruit fly, with a particular emphasis on behaviors impacted by chemosensory and thermal input.  We are also dissecting the roles of other receptors, such as gustatory receptors, in controlling animal behavior

TRP channels also cause human disease, including the early childhood neurodegenerative disease, mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV).  Using flies as an animal model for MLIV, we dissected the cellular mechanism of neurodegeneration and proposed a therapeutic approach for treating this disease.  To characterize mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, we are also exploiting the visual system to dissect the underlying bases for the retinal degenerations that result from mutations that disrupt the TRP channel, rhodopsin and other signaling molecules.