Temporal resolution of spike coding in feedforward networks with signal convergence and divergence

Zach Mobille, Usama Bin Sikandar, Simon Sponberg, and Hannah Choi, PLoS Computational Biology (2025)

High-Speed Video of a Flying Ghost Moth, Phassus n-signatus (Hepialidae) Reveals Slight Forewing-Hindwing Out-Of-Phase Flapping

Akito Y. Kawahara, Yash Sondhi, Jamie Theobald, The Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society (2024)

Flight power muscles have a coordinated, causal role in hawkmoth pitch turns

Day-night gene expression reveals circadian gene disco as a cnadidate for diel-niche evolution in moths

Yash Sondhi, Rebeccah L. Messcher, AnthonyJ. Bellantuano, Caroline G. Storer, Scott D. Cinel, R. Keating Godfrey, Andrew J. Mongue, Yi-Ming Weng, Deborah Glass, Ryan A. St Laurent, Chris A. Hamilton, Chandra Earl, Colin J. Brislawn, Ian J. Kitching, Seth M. Bysbee, Jamie C. Theobald, Akito Y. Kawahara, Proc. R. Soc. London B, (2024)

Insect Flight: State of the Field and Future Directions

Treidel, L.A.*, Deem, K.D., Salcedo, M.K., Dickinson, M.H., Bruce, H.S., Darveau, C.A., Dickerson, B. H., Ellers, O., Glass, J.R., Gordon, C.M., Harrison, J.F., Hedrick, T.L., Johnson, M.G., Marden, J.H., Lebenzon, J.E., Niitepõld, K., Sane, S.P. Sponberg, S., Talal, S. Williams, C.M., and Wold, E.S.G Integrative & Comparative Biology (2024)

Structural bottlenecks promote temporal coding in spiking neural networks.

Zach Mobille, Usama Sikandar, Simon Sponberg, and Hannah Choi Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN) (2024)

Olfaction in the Anthropocene: NO₃  negatively affects floral scent and nocturnal pollination

J.K. Chan, S. Parasurama, R. Atlas, R. Xu, U.A. Jongebloed, B. Alexander, J.M. Langenhan, J.A. Thornton, J. A. Riffell, Science (2024)

Why animals can outrun robots

Environmental impact on visual perception modulates behavioral responses of schooling fish to looming predators

Why flying insects gather at artificial light

An information theoretic method to resolve millisecond-scale spike timing precision in a comprehensive motor program

Predicting visually-modulated precisely-timed spikes across a coordinated and comprehensive motor program

Predicting sensory modulation of precise spike timing for motor control

Regression-based Spike Train Decoding in a Comprehensive Motor Program for Insect Flight

Pre-Prints and Submitted Manuscripts

Cross-subject Mapping of Neural Activity with Restricted Boltzmann Machines

Context dependent multisensory integration: Mechanosensation depends on luminance for robust performance

Consistent coordination patterns provide near perfect behavior decoding in a comprehensive motor program for insect flight

Neuron synchronization analyzed through spatial-temporal attention

Body undulations couple with wing flapping to reduce aerodynamic power requirement in wild silkmoths.

Usama Sikandar, Brett Aiello, and Simon Sponberg bioRxiv

Body size and light environment modulate flight speed and saccadic behavior in free flying Drosophila melanogaster

Elina Barredo, Haoming Yang, John Paul Currea, Yash Sondhi, Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi, Simon Sponberg, Vahid Tarokh, and Jamie Theobald bioRxiv

Adaptive full-envelop spiking neural network control of flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles

Hengye Yang, Xinyu Fang, Saksham Kaushik, Taylor Clawson, Usama Bin Sikandar, Simon Sponberg, Robert J . Wood, and Silvia Ferrari submitted

Neural Bottlenecks: Axon Count, Distribution, and Conduction in the Manduca sexta Neck Connective

Leo Wood, Karrah Hayes, Varun Sharma, Eric Sun, Max Chen, Simon Sponberg (submitted)

Gradual visual tuning in nocturnal hawkmoth eyes contrasts with abrupt diurnal specialization

Yash Sondhi, Ruchao Qian, John Paul Currea , Isabella Koushiar, Jacqueline Degen, Deborah Glass, Edward Stanley, Simon Sponberg, Ian J. Kitching, Akito Y. Kawahara, Jamie C. Theobald (submitted)

Conference Presentations

Tarokh, V.  “New Representation Learning, Prediction, and Sampling techniques and their Applications.” Invited speaker forAFRL/AFOSR Chief Scientist Distinguished Lecture Series 2024

Sponberg, S.  “Orchestrating a comprehensive, spike-resolved motor program for agile insect flight.” Invited speaker for Air Force Bio-Inspired Sensing, Computing, and Control with International Teams (BISCCITs) seminar series. Virtual. 2024

Sponberg, S.  “Transitions and tradeoffs in the strategies insects use to fly”  Invited external speaker. University of Chicago EvMorph Seminar 2024.

Theobald, J. “Vision and flight in low photon visual environments” Invited talk at University of Maryland Biology Department 2024 

Qian, R., and Theobald, J. “Neural Effects of Motion Parallax in the Tobacco Hornworm Hawk Moth” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024

Muzio, V., and Theobald, J. “Vision and flight behavior trade offs for undersized Greater Wax moths” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024

Barredo, E., and Theobald, J.  “Drosophila flight responses to landscape motion speed during object tracking” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2024

Sponberg, S. “Biophysical transitions and unified dynamics of periodically driven (synchronous) and self-excited (asynchronous) flapping flight in insects and robots”  Invited external speaker. University of Michigan Robotics Seminar Series 2023

Sponberg, S, Wood, L. “Orchestrating a comprehensive, spike-resolved motor program for agile insect flight” Joint talk with graduate student Leo Wood. Invited external speaker. Janelia Mechanistic and Cognitive Neuroscience Seminar Series. 2023

Sponberg, S, Gravish, N. “The mechanics of spring-wing flight and self-excited oscillations in insects and robots” Joint talk with Dr. Nick Gravish. Adaptive Motion in Animals and Machines 2023. Part of our organized session on “Beyond Aerodynamics: The role of mechanics, materials, and morphing in flight.” 2023

Muzio, V., Sondhi, Y., Barredo, E., Jo, N., Erickson, F., and Theobald, J. “Changes in circadian rhythm activity of moths subjected to simulated light pollution” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2023

Qian, R., and Theobald, J. “The visual influence of swaying behavior of praying mantises” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2023

Ruiz, C., and Theobald, J. “Habitat structure and natural history shape stabilizing responses in three species of fruit flies” The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2023

Sondhi, Y., Theobald, J., and Singh, R. “Exposure to high levels of artificial light at night decreases wild moth locomotion“ The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2023

Theobald, J. “Insect flight: robust control with tiny brains” Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology 2023

Sondhi, Y., Fabian, S., Singh, R., Muzio, V., Jo, N., Allen, P., Theobald, J., Kawahara, A., Barredo, E. “Effects of light on insect activity times and flight speeds” Entomological Society of America 2023 

Sondhi, Y., Fabian, S., Singh, R., Muzio, V., Jo, N., Allen, P., Theobald, J., Kawahara, A., Barredo, E. “Effects of light on insect activity times and flight speeds” International Conference on Invertebrate Vision 2023 

Usama Bin Sikandar, Hannah Choi, Joy Putney, Hengye Yang, Silvia Ferrari, and Simon Sponberg “Predicting visually-modulated precisely-timed spikes across a coordinated and comprehensive motor program.” 2023 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN); Gold Coast, Australia

Usama Bin Sikandar, Hannah Choi, Joy Putney, Hengye Yang, Silvia Ferrari, and Simon Sponberg “Predicting sensory modulation of precise spike timing for motor control” COSYNE 2023; Montreal, Canada

Aiello; Sharma; Nordström; Sponberg; Descending neurons responsive to flower stimuli and intermediate sized objects in the neck connective of the tobacco hawkmoth, Manduca sexta; International Conference on Invertebrate Vision 2023. Bäckaskog, Sweden

Sharma and Sponberg “Context dependent multimodal integration” SOAR/BISCITS 2023; Washington, DC

Sponberg and Aiello “How are object detecting descending neurons tuned in non-pursuit species?” SOAR/BISCITS 2023; Washington, DC

Varun Sharma and Simon Sponberg “Context dependent multimodal integration” International Conference of Invertebrate Vision 2023 Bäckaskog, Sweden

Varun Sharma and Simon Sponberg; GA Tech Physics of Living Systems Seminar 2023; Atlanta, GA

Patil and Riffell “Progress towards identifying promoter and marker for germline transformation and CRISPR/HDR mediated knock-in of the Manduca sexta Pacific Branch Meeeting Entomological Society of America 2023; Seattle WA

Leo Wood and Simon Sponberg; Lightning Talk; SOAR/BISCITS 2023; Washington, DC

Mobille, Sikandar, Sponberg, and Choi “Informational dynamics and decodability in spiking neural networks with biologically-motivated structure”, Collaborative Research in Computation Neuroscience (CRCNS) PI Meeting 2022, Atlanta, GA. October 27-28, 2022 (Poster)

Sikandar, Choi, Ferrari, and Sponberg “Predicting coordinated and precise motor spikes from a sensory stimulus”, Collaborative Research in Computation Neuroscience (CRCNS) PI Meeting 2022, Atlanta, GA. October 27-28, 2022 (Poster)

Sponberg, S. “Orchestrating precise spike timing across a comprehensive motor program for flight.”, Invited external speaker. Simons-Emory International Consortium on Motor Control meeting 2022