Many species exhibit internal state switching, where shifts in neural activity patterns produce distinct behavioral states. The mechanisms of state-switching and their extent of evolutionary conservation are unknown; thus, studies across diverse species provide valuable points of comparison. With established transgenesis and optical advantages, the jellyfish Clytia hemisphaerica offers a highly tractable state-switching model consisting of active swimming and quiescence states. I will record neural activity in restrained Clytia via transgenic GCaMP6s expression, then use computational methods to identify and model neural populations correlated in time with behavior state transitions. Studying state-switching in Clytia may yield meaningful insights on how neural activity governs behavior.

Having UROP-ed since freshman year, I think SuperUROP is a great way to gain a more immersive research experience. My project combines computation with neuroscience in a jellyfish model, which is really exciting to me as a sort of start to pursuing my own research interests. Through SuperUROP and beyond, I hope to explore the fundamental principles behind how simple and complex nervous systems might arise from well-made connections.