Neurobiology’s Matthew Lovett-Barron Selected for Prestigious 2025 McKnight Scholar Award

Lovett-Barron, a faculty member in the Department of Neurobiology (School of Biological Sciences), studies the neural mechanisms of social interactions in animal groups. In such collectives, including bird flocks and fish schools, the effects of sensory stimuli spread through the group as each individual responds to its neighbor’s actions. This social information is critical for animals to explore their environment and avoid predators.

But how do they do this? The neural mechanisms behind an individual animal’s ability to perceive and respond to the action of others in their collective is not well understood. Lovett-Barron and members of his laboratory will study these mechanisms in small transparent glassfish.

“By imaging neural activity across the brains of glassfish engaged in a social virtual reality, the Lovett-Barron lab will identify the neural circuits that enable fish to extract relevant cues from the movements and postures of their neighbors,” notes the summary of the project, titled “Neurobiology of Expanded Perception in Animal Collectives.” “This investigation will show how neural processing of social visual signals enables coordinated group actions, providing key insights into how multiple brains generate adaptive collective behaviors in nature.”

Scientists are eligible to become McKnight Scholars in the first five years of a full-time faculty position. The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience has funded 291 investigators since the organization introduced the award in 1977.

“The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience is proud to support this next generation of exceptional neuroscientists, not only for their innovative research, but also for their deep commitment to mentorship and to fostering a vibrant, diverse scientific community,” said Vanessa Ruta, chair of the awards committee. “Investing in both pioneering science and scientists committed to building communities where discovery can flourish has never been more important than it is today. On behalf of the entire committee, I congratulate all of the applicants for their creativity, dedication and vision.”

See the full list of 2025 McKnight Scholars.

— With information from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience