People

Biography

I study how the brain processes information from the environment through the visual system of fruit flies.

More precisely, I am interested how the lamina neurons – first processing layer in the optic lobe – compute and transmit visual information throughout the brain to elicit behavioural responses.

My main specialties include genetics and cellular imaging (multiphoton, and confocal microscopy), which allow me to study and quantify dynamic responses of neurons to visual stimuli in vivo.

I first became interested in the relationship between brain and behaviour during my PhD at New York University, where I studied how specific genes influence circadian locomotor rhythms in fruit flies.

In parallel to experimenting in the lab, I am a professional painter, printmaker and art curator. My artwork takes direct inspiration from my work as a scientist and aims to question our idea of visual perception.

I co-direct B&B gallery and screen printing studio, where I regularly invite artists from all over the world to collaborate on print editions and short-term residencies.

For more information, visit florenceblanchard.com and bandbgallery.com