Contact Information
524 Burrill Hall
407 S. Goodwin Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Areas
Research Interests
Research Topics
Computational Biology, Ion Channels, Learning and Memory, Neurobiology, Pattern Formation, Sensory Processing
Disease Research Interests
Neurological and Behavioral Disorders
Research Description
Neural Bases of Decision
Our research activities are aimed at how animals organize their behavior by integrating motivation, experience and sensation. My laboratory analyzes decision-making in behavioral expression and the underlying neural network circuitry. We analyze interactions of neural networks and the regulation of network activity by cell signalling pathways involving neuromodulatory messengers and second messenger pathways. We use the carnivorous marine snail Pleurobranchaea californica as a model system, taking advantage of the simple behavior and brain that underlie its success as a generalized predator. A corollary activity newly emerging as a result of the behavioral and physiological work is the development of software and hardware platforms for autonomous cost-benefit analysis of alternative behaviors for computational decision-making and robotics.
Education
B.S. 1967 University of Miami
M.S. 1969 University of Hawaii
Ph.D. 1974 University of Toronto
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor Emeritus, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Professor Emeritus, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
External Links
Recent Publications
Lee, C. A., Brown, J. W., & Gillette, R. (2023). Coordination of Locomotion by Serotonergic Neurons in the Predatory Gastropod Pleurobranchaea californica. Journal of Neuroscience, 43(20), 3647-3657. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1386-22.2023
Wang, T., Halder, U., Gribkova, E., Gillette, R., Gazzola, M., & Mehta, P. G. (2022). A Sensory Feedback Control Law for Octopus Arm Movements. In 2022 IEEE 61st Conference on Decision and Control, CDC 2022 (pp. 1059-1066). (Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control; Vol. 2022-December). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC51059.2022.9993021
Clark, K. D., Lee, C., Gillette, R., & Sweedler, J. V. (2021). Characterization of Neuronal RNA Modifications during Non-associative Learning in Aplysia Reveals Key Roles for tRNAs in Behavioral Sensitization. ACS Central Science, 7(7), 1183-1190. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.1c00351
Gribkova, E. D., & Gillette, R. (2021). Role of NMDAR plasticity in a computational model of synaptic memory. Scientific reports, 11(1), Article 21182. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00516-y
Lee, C. A., Romanova, E. V., Southey, B. R., Gillette, R., & Sweedler, J. V. (2021). Comparative Analysis of Neuropeptides in Homologous Interneurons and Prohormone Annotation in Nudipleuran Sea Slugs. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, Article 809529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.809529
