Recent lab publications

A split attractor design for rapidly writing a navigational goal

Lanz, A.J., Kathman, N.D., Hao, E., Ermentrout, B., and Nagel K.I., 2026. A split attractor design for rapidly writing a navigational goal. Nature.‍ ‍https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11144-9

Neural dynamics for working memory and evidence integration

Kathman, N.D., Lanz, A.J., Freed, J.D. and Nagel, K.I., 2026. Neural dynamics for working memory and evidence integration during olfactory navigation in Drosophila. Nature Communications, 17, 9082.

Neural representations for computing wind direction in flight

May, C.E., Cellini, B., Stupski, S.D., Lopez, A.P., Mangat, N., van Breugel, F. and Nagel, K.I., 2026. Central complex representations of self-movement are sufficient to compute wind direction in flight. Science Advances, 12(35), p.eaeh7220.

Selected Research Publications

Gattuso HC, van Hassel KA, Freed JD, Nuñez KM, de la Rea B, May CE, Ermentrout GB, Victor JD, and Nagel, K.I., 2025. Inhibitory control explains locomotor statistics in walking Drosophila. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 122 (16) e2407626122.

Hamid, A., Gattuso, H., Caglar, A.N., Pillai, M., Steele, T., Gonzalez, A., Nagel, K.I. and Syed, M.H., 2024. The conserved RNA-binding protein Imp is required for the specification and function of olfactory navigation circuitry in Drosophila. Current Biology, 34(3), pp. 473-488.

Suver, M.P., Medina, A.M., and Nagel, K.I., 2023. Active antennal movements in Drosophila can tune wind encoding. Current Biology, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.020.

Matheson, A.M., Lanz, A.J., Medina, A.M., Licata, A.M., Currier, T.A., Syed, M.H. and Nagel, K.I., 2022. A neural circuit for wind-guided olfactory navigation. Nature Communications, 13(1), pp.1-21.

Currier, T.A., Matheson, A.M. and Nagel, K.I., 2020. Encoding and control of airflow orientation by a set of Drosophila fan-shaped body neurons. eLife 2020;9:e61510 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.61510

Suver, M.P., Matheson, A.M., Sarkar, S., Damiata, M., Schoppik, D. and Nagel, K.I., 2019. Encoding of wind direction by central neurons in Drosophila. Neuron, 102(4), pp.828-842.

Victor, J.D., Boie, S.D., Connor, E.G., Crimaldi, J.P., Ermentrout, G.B., and Nagel, K.I., 2019. Olfactory navigation and the receptor nonlinearity. J. Neurosci. 2512-18

Currier, T. and Nagel K.I., 2018 Multisensory control of orientation in tethered flying Drosophila. Current Biology. 28(22):3533-3546 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.09.020

Álvarez-Salvado, E., Licata, A.M., Connor, E.G., McHugh, M.K., King, B.M., Stavropoulos, N., Victor, J.D., Crimaldi, J.P. and Nagel, K.I., 2018. Elementary sensory-motor transformations underlying olfactory navigation in walking fruit-flies. Elife, 7, p.e37815.

Boie, S.D., Connor, E.G., McHugh, M., Nagel, K.I., Ermentrout, G.B., Crimaldi, J.P., Victor, J.D., 2018. Information-theoretic analysis of realistic odor plumes: What cues are useful for determining location? PLoS Comp Bio, 14(7), e1006275.

Fulterer A, Andlauer, T.F.M., Ender A., Maglione M., Eyring K., Woitkuhn J., Lehmann M., Matkovic-Rachid T., Geiger J.R.P., Walter A.M., Nagel K.I., Sigrist S.J., 2018. Active Zone Scaffold Protein Ratios Tune Functional Diversity across Brain Synapses. Cell Rep. May 23(5):1259-1274