Timothy Dunn, PhD, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering, is joining Neurobiology this fall as training faculty. The McKnight Technological Innovations in Neuroscience Awards recognize projects for their ability to fundamentally change the way neuroscience research is conducted. Dunn's project will receive a total of $200,000 over the next two years, advancing the development of groundbreaking technologies used to map, monitor, and model brain function.
Dr. Dunn is working on a system to capture the body motion of subjects using 3D measurements (rather than 2D pixel measurements) by combining multiple video cameras and a new machine-learning algorithm. The method allows high resolution tracking of small, discrete body parts in freely behaving animals, allows study in naturalistic space, and can even track multiple animals interacting socially, a combination of features not available in current systems.