Dr. Kayser’s lab seeks to understand how neural circuits lead to complex behaviors and how abnormalities in neural processes can cause mental illness. This research program focuses on how sleep contributes to sculpting brain circuits during development and in other life segments using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. The fly provides unparalleled neurogenetic approaches toward unraveling the neural logic of complex behaviors, and genetic and molecular insights from Drosophila have translated to higher organisms, including humans. The overarching goal of this research program is to gain new insights into the regulation of early-life sleep, deepening our understanding of the link between sleep, brain development, and neurodevelopmental pathology.