The Kvitsiani group investigates the genetic and neuronal circuit mechanisms that underlie effort based decision-making in flies, rodents and humans. The aim of his research is to build predictive and quantitative models of foraging behavior to uncover the neural and genetic mechanisms that underlie animal decisions. The methods used include molecular genetics, psychophysics, behavioral electrophysiology and optogenetics.
The main focus of our research is to investigate how animals allocate effort to forage efficiently in unpredictable environments. By employing quantitative foraging models and carefully designed behavioral assays with extracellular electrophysiology and optogenetics we plan to identify circuit level computations in mouse brain that subserve foraging decisions. In order to uncover the molecular basis of foraging decisions reverse genetic screens in combination with foraging behavioral assays will be used in fruit flies. Another focus of research will be to determine whether foraging humans use the same strategies as flies and rodents, and whether these strategies are adversely affected in mentally disabled patients. Long term goal is to use ecology inspired quantitative behavioral models to guide and sharpen scientific questions. Duda Kvitsiani also hopes to take advantage of the diverse scientific cultures at Aarhus University to launch fruitful collaborations in pursuit of this goal.
The Kvitsiani group currently has projects available for Master students, PhD students, and post docs. Please contact Group Leader Duda Kvitsiani directly, if interested.
2019.03.25 | Research news
Article currently only available in Danish, English translation coming soon. Ved at sende laserlys ind igennem et fiberkabel i hovedet på mus kan forskere fra Aarhus Universitet nu slukke og tænde for neuroner. Det er et teknologisk gennembrud, som kan give ny viden om, hvordan hjernen fungerer.
2018.12.07 | Knowledge exchange
As a new thing, the Nordic EMBL Partnership will look in-depth at a researcher, or a facility, within the Nordic EMBL Partnership by writing stories for a new partnership network series called 'Behind the Scenes'.
2018.10.30 | News from the management
The Executive Board of DANDRITE has approved the recommendations from Duda’s Assessment Committee to extend his appointment at DANDRITE for another four-year period until 2023.
2018.09.04 | DudaKvitsiani
Initially Dovile Saulenaite will be part of a research project that aims to extend and characterize single fly decisions in probabilistic environments. Later Dovile will be focusing on aspects and possible sources of individuality in fruit fly foraging behavior. She will record foraging decisions of fruit flies for several days, to investigate how…
2018.08.23 | People
João will investigate the plasticity rules that underlie attention-dependent forms of associative learning at the cellular and circuit levels, in mice. The project is multidisciplinary and will involve extracellular and intracellular recordings, calcium imaging, optogenetics, and behavioural training of animals. Furthermore than working in Nabavi…
2018.08.21 | People
Maria will assist lab members in behavioral training and testing of animals. She will also build tools to record and activate neurons using electrophysiology and optical stimulation set up. With other lab members Maria will participate in lab meetings and journal clubs.
2016.11.15 | Knowledge exchange
According to a new study in Science, rats that are tickled exhibit the same behavior as humans. The same study also revealed that tickling can be detected in the brain. According to Duda Kvitsiani, the results are important for understanding what tickling means socially.
2015.12.15 | Awards
Group Leader Duda Kvitsiani has receiced a 1.2 mio DKK NOVA grant from the Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF) for his project on “Next generation tools for recording neurons in 3D volume”. The aim of AUFF NOVA is to stimulate courageous and innovative research projects of high quality – projects which may have difficulties obtaining…
2015.05.29 | People
DANDRITE’s aim of appointing five top researchers as Group leaders has just become a reality with the appointment of Dr Sadegh Nabavi, whose research includes how memory is formed, how it can be erased, and how it can subsequently be restored.
2015.05.29 | Awards
Group Leader Duda Kvitsiani has been awarded a 1.6 mio DKK grant from the Lundbeck Foundation to his project “Light and the Brain”, where he aims for developing patterned light stimulation and imaging system for behaving rodents.
