Proprioception is the sense of the position and movement of our bodies. It is our most important sense -- without it, it would be very difficult to move our bodies to do anything. 

The Agrawal lab studies how sensory feedback from proprioceptive sensory neurons enables the flexible control of behavior. We focus on the compact nervous system of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster and utilize a variety of techniques, including quantitative behavior, optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology and 2-photon imaging, EM-based circuit reconstruction, and computational modeling. We are also interested in understanding how motor context or limb morphology shape proprioceptive circuits and are investigating proprioceptive encoding in mosquitoes and other non-Drosophila insects.

We are actively recruiting scientists at all levels, including postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and post-baccalaureate research technicians. Please contact me about joining the team!

Lab philosophy

In the Agrawal lab, we strive to create a collaborative environment that prioritizes curiosity, community, and accessibility. We seek to empower all members of the lab to embrace their own unique identities while still respecting others. I will support and work with lab members to imagine, plan for, and achieve their individual career goals while contributing to the scientific pursuit.