MIT Associate Professor Steven Flavell and his team are studying the roundworm C. elegans to understand how its simple nervous system generates complex behaviors. By mapping the connections between neurons, researchers can gain insights into how behavior is controlled in simpler animals and potentially apply those findings to humans.
Flavell’s lab has made significant progress in understanding how neural circuits control behavior in C. elegans. They have identified key players such as neuromodulators like serotonin that regulate stable behavioral states. By studying these mechanisms, researchers can uncover fundamental features of neuronal function that may generalize across organisms.
Using a unique approach, Flavell’s lab has created computational models that accurately capture the relationship between brain activity and behavior. This type of research requires expertise in multiple areas, including neuroscience, engineering, and computer science.
Flavell believes that studying C. elegans can provide valuable insights into human behavior, particularly when it comes to behaviors like feeding, navigation, and locomotion. By understanding how these simple animals execute complex behaviors, researchers may be able to shed light on the underlying mechanisms that govern human behavior as well.
The use of a simple animal model like C. elegans also has significant advantages over studying larger organisms. The worm’s nervous system is relatively simple, with about 7,000 synapses compared to the tens of thousands found in humans. This makes it an attractive model for researchers who want to study behavior and neural mechanisms in detail.
Flavell’s work at MIT has allowed his lab to be highly multidisciplinary, incorporating expertise from multiple fields such as physics, math, computer science, and biology. This collaborative approach has led to exciting research outcomes that have the potential to advance our understanding of human behavior.
Source: https://news.mit.edu/2025/modeling-complex-behavior-steven-flavell-0121