Person
Norton, Will
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Biography and Research Interest
My research focuses on genes, neural circuits and human diseases that are connected to aggression using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model organism.
One area of my research centres on measuring the aggression-boldness behavioural syndrome (a positive correlation between aggression, boldness and exploration levels) in groups of adult zebrafish that harbour mutations in single genes. A key aspect of this work focuses upon measuring and comparing multiple behavioural changes in a single animal, giving insights into the pleiotropic action of the genes that control behaviour. Through comparison of the behavioural phenotype of different mutant families, we aim to uncover the general brain areas and genetic pathways that are linked to aggression-boldness in the vertebrate brain.
A second aim of my research is to study the neurodevelopmental function of genes which are linked to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in human patients. ADHD is a common psychiatric disorder that causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Although predominantly a childhood disease, ADHD can also be maintained into adulthood and lead to increases in aggression. However, despite the large number of genes that have been identified by genome-wide association studies of human ADHD patients, the changes in neural development that lead to symptoms of the disease are not well understood. In my work, I use larval zebrafish to uncover the function of some of these ADHD-related genes. We have already identified ADHD-linked alterations to larval zebrafish behaviour, including locomotor hyperactivity and motor impulsivity. By combining gene expression analyses with measurements of the behavioural impact of loss-of-gene function, we thus aim to better understand how alterations of genes that are identified in genome-wide association studies contribute to the symptoms of ADHD.
One area of my research centres on measuring the aggression-boldness behavioural syndrome (a positive correlation between aggression, boldness and exploration levels) in groups of adult zebrafish that harbour mutations in single genes. A key aspect of this work focuses upon measuring and comparing multiple behavioural changes in a single animal, giving insights into the pleiotropic action of the genes that control behaviour. Through comparison of the behavioural phenotype of different mutant families, we aim to uncover the general brain areas and genetic pathways that are linked to aggression-boldness in the vertebrate brain.
A second aim of my research is to study the neurodevelopmental function of genes which are linked to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in human patients. ADHD is a common psychiatric disorder that causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Although predominantly a childhood disease, ADHD can also be maintained into adulthood and lead to increases in aggression. However, despite the large number of genes that have been identified by genome-wide association studies of human ADHD patients, the changes in neural development that lead to symptoms of the disease are not well understood. In my work, I use larval zebrafish to uncover the function of some of these ADHD-related genes. We have already identified ADHD-linked alterations to larval zebrafish behaviour, including locomotor hyperactivity and motor impulsivity. By combining gene expression analyses with measurements of the behavioural impact of loss-of-gene function, we thus aim to better understand how alterations of genes that are identified in genome-wide association studies contribute to the symptoms of ADHD.
Non-Zebrafish Publications