skip to content

Faculty of Mathematics and Natural SciencesInstitute of Zoology - AG Büschges

Dr. E. Axel Gorostiza

Research interest

I am interested in animal behavior, particularly behavioral flexibility/plasticity and adaptive behaviors. Throughout their lifetime animals encounter several challenges, e.g. finding food or escaping predators, among many others. Therefore, animals have to be able to switch, modify or adapt their behaviors to the current needs or environmental demands. To know how this is achieved, is one of my curiosity drives.  Since my master studies, I have been using Drosophila melanogaster in my research. I have studied neurodegeneration, circadian rhythms, and decision making, and currently, my research focuses on adaptive walking, specifically, curve-walking behavior. When changing direction, walking animals have to adjust the kinematics of each leg in order to create a break in left-right symmetry and generate a change in the course. How this asymmetry looks like? Which strategies are the flies using to change directions? and how are they controlled by the nervous system? Are some of the questions that I am trying to answer now. 

Education/Training/Experience

  • Research Associate from the CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), working at Prof. Dr. Fernando Locatelli laboratory, IFIBYNE (Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology and Neuroscience), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (02/2020-06/2023 - On leave since June 2021)
  • Research Associate from the CONICET, working at Prof. Dr. Liliana Cancela laboratory, IFEC (Institute of Experimental Pharmacology from Cordoba) National University of Cordoba, Argentina (11/2018-01/2020)
  • Return Home Postdoctoral fellow at Prof. Dr. Liliana Cancela laboratory, IFEC, National University of Cordoba, Argentina (01/2018-10/2018)
  • Postdoctoral position at Prof. Dr. Björn Brembs laboratory, University of Regensburg, Germany (07/2013-12/2017)
  • PhD of the University of Buenos Aires. Area of Specialization: Biological Sciences. School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires (2013)
  • Licentiate in Biological Sciences (M.S. equivalent). Area of specialization: Animal Physiology. University of Buenos Aires (2008)

Teaching experience

  • Assistant Professor. Pharmacology Department-UNC (07/2018-10/2020)
  • Laboratory Instructor. Pharmacology Department-UNC (03/2018-06/2018)
  • Invited Professor at the Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. Lecture: “Exploring Drosophila Behavior in Laboratory” (03/2015 and 05/2023)
  • Laboratory Instructor at Drosophila Neurogenetics Course, Universität Regensburg (2014-2017)
  • Laboratory Instructor at the Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Master Program (ECN), Universität Regensburg (2013-2017)
  • Laboratory Instructor at SFN’s 2012 Ricardo Miledi Neuroscience Training Program (03/2012)

Publications

  1.  Büschges A, Gorostiza EA. Neurons with names: Descending control and sensorimotor processing in insect motor control. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2023;83: 102766.
  2. Avalos MP, Guzman AS, Rigoni D, Gorostiza EA, Sanchez MA, Mongi-Bragato B, et al. Minocycline prevents chronic restraint stress-induced vulnerability to developing cocaine self-administration and associated glutamatergic mechanisms: a potential role of microglia. Brain Behav Immun. 2022;101: 359–376.
  3. Steymans I, Pujol-Lereis LM, Brembs B, Gorostiza EA. Collective action or individual choice: Spontaneity and individuality contribute to decision-making in Drosophila. PLoS One. 2021;16: e0256560.
  4. Gorostiza EA. Does cognition have a role in plasticity of “innate behavior”? A perspective from Drosophila. Front Psychol. 2018;9: 1502.
  5. Gorostiza EA, Colomb J, Brembs B. A decision underlies phototaxis in an insect. Open Biology. 2016. doi:10.1098/rsob.160229
  6. Depetris-Chauvin A, Fernández-Gamba A, Gorostiza EA, Herrero A, Castaño EM, Ceriani MF. Mmp1 processing of the PDF neuropeptide regulates circadian structural plasticity of pacemaker neurons. PLoS Genet. 2014;10: e1004700.
  7. Gorostiza EA, Depetris-Chauvin A, Frenkel L, Pírez N, Ceriani MF. Circadian pacemaker neurons change synaptic contacts across the day. Curr Biol. 2014;24: 2161–2167.
  8. Beckwith EJ, Gorostiza EA, Berni J, Rezával C, Pérez-Santángelo A, Nadra AD, et al. Circadian period integrates network information through activation of the BMP signaling pathway. PLoS Biol. 2013;11: e1001733.
  9. Gorostiza EA, Ceriani MF. Retrograde bone morphogenetic protein signaling shapes a key circadian pacemaker circuit. J Neurosci. 2013;33: 687–696.
  10. Rezával C, Berni J, Gorostiza EA, Werbajh S, Fagilde MM, Fernández MP, et al. A functional misexpression screen uncovers a role for enabled in progressive neurodegeneration. PLoS One. 2008;3: e3332.