HOY LAB - AT UNR
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Vision For Natural Behavior

The Hoy lab studies how specific visual information is represented in the brain under natural conditions and how it is transformed into approach behavior.  We seek to understand why specific sensory perceptions and visuomotor behaviors change over the course of normal development, may be different across individuals and are perturbed in certain disease states such as Autism, Schizophrenia and ADHD.
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Positions available -
​Detailed Diversity and Inclusion Statement


We are an equal opportunity employer. We value hard work and dedication, celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
​ Please send CV, a brief explanation of your interests and the contact information for three references to jhoy@unr.edu
Integrative Neuroscience at UNR
Biology, UNR

Projects

Neural Circuits Underlying Natural Visual Behaviors
We work to identify the neural circuit basis of prey identification and targeting behaviors in mice by selectively manipulating genetically identified cell types in the brain and then quantifying specific behavioral responses. The lab takes a comparative approach by collaborating with a number of researchers studying this ubiquitous behavior across species. This allows us to contrast our findings in mice with studies of visually-guided foraging  behaviors and visual search in other rodent species, birds and even fish. Ultimately, this will allow us to precisely identify the genetic, developmental and neural circuit level mechanisms that underlie optimal visual system function under many environmental conditions.

 Development, Aging and Disease of Visual Perception and Behavior
We are also curious as to why specific visuomotor behaviors change over our life-span, and, why they may be different across individuals or in specific disease states.  We therefore study and quantify variation in visually-guided prey capture over development, by behavioral state and in various disease states that affect neurodevelopment, attention and sensory processing.

 Development of Visual Neural Circuit Function
To understand how variation in sensory perception and behavior arise and are codified within a species, we also study the molecular and cellular developmental mechanisms that underlie the wiring up of specific visual system function in the mammalian brain. For these experiments, we spatially and temporally target genetic manipulations to defined cell types in the visual system and assess the impact of those manipulation on the development of the receptive field properties of the neurons.  Visually-guided behavior is also quantified in these mutants in order to determine whether the molecular and cellular changes yield behavioral phenotypes that affect organismal fitness.
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