Monica Folgueira

Monica completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of A Coruña, Spain, during which she studied the anatomy and connections of different regions of the brain in a teleost fish. She explains: "I believe studies using fish offer outstanding possibilities for combining genetic, neuroanatomical and behavioural approaches." This outlook led her to join Steve Wilson's lab at UCL, where she collaborated in a couple of projects that used the zebrafish embryo to study brain anatomy. Thanks to scientific discussions with Yoshiyuki Yamamoto at UCL and her research in Steve's lab she has now become more familiar with research on cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) and developed a real passion for these fish. "Taken together, blind cavefish and surface fish are, in my opinion, fascinating living examples of evolution in action. I believe studies on this species will contribute to our understanding of how environment influences brain morphology through adaptation and evolution."

Monica has recently moved back to the University of A Coruña, where she is now working as a Teaching Assistant. She will continue studying different aspects of brain anatomy and circuitry in zebrafish, in collaboration with Steve Wilson and Jon Clarke (King's College London).

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