Teaching
I teach on various modules in the School of Psychology and Neurocience and School of Biology. I founded and now coordinate the Masters of Research (MRes) in Neuroscience programme. I serve as faculty advisor for Students Teaching Teachers Teaching Students (ST3S), an initiative aimed at empowering students to impact how neuroscience educators teach.
Research areas
I study the neuroethology of movement in small animals. I am particulraly interested in understanding how the brains of insects control complex physical plants to solve problems associated with moving over different types of terrain. Work in the lab is highly integrative, involving everything from genetics to anatomy to electrophyisology and live imaging to biomechanics and animal behaviour in the field. We work with multiple species including flies, beetles, and aquatic invertebrates. Our work is well positioned to inform work in vertebrates and influence development of biologically inspired machines. Lab members weave research, teaching and outreach together and we invest in developing sustainable, accessible ways of doing science.
PhD supervision
- Max Leach
- Rebecca Lewis
- Solene Morelle
- Hope Nitsche
- Ranjini Sircar
- William Smith
- Jacob Thomas-Hegarty
Selected publications
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Open access
Moon, C.-K., König, M., Sircar, R., Butscher, J. F., Alle, R., Meerholz, K., Pulver, S. R. & Gather, M. C., 5 Feb 2026, In: Light: Science & Applications. 15, 11 p., 104.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Smith, W. V., Bebbington, A., Sircar, R., Gather, M. & Pulver, S., 1 Feb 2026, In: Genetics. 232, 2, iyaf268.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Xu Ying, B., Zwart, M. F. & Pulver, S. R., 10 Apr 2025, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 228, 7, jeb250015.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
MacLeod, J., Xu Ying, B., Zwart, M. & Pulver, S., 17 Sept 2025, bioRxiv.
Research output: Working paper › Preprint
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Open access
Busse, F., Booth, J. H., Kronenberg, N. M., Sun, Y., Meek, A. T., Mischok, A., Pulver, S. R. & Gather, M. C., 1 Nov 2025, In: Biomedical Optics Express. 16, 11, p. 4617-4632 16 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Francis, J., Gibeily, C. R., Smith, W. V., Petropoulos, I. S., Anderson, M., Heitler, W. J., Prinz, A. A. & Pulver, S. R., 21 Apr 2025, In: PLoS Biology. 23, 4, p. 1-39 39 p., e3003094.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Dalaka, E., Hill, J. S., Booth, J. H. H., Popczyk, A., Pulver, S. R., Gather, M. C. & Schubert, M., 5 Jun 2024, In: Light: Science & Applications. 13, 14 p., 129.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Booth, J. R. H., Meek, A. T., Kronenberg, N. M., Pulver, S. R. & Gather, M. C., 23 Jul 2024, In: eLife. 12, 24 p., RP87746.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Megwa, O. F., Pascual, L. M., Günay, C., Pulver, S. R. & Prinz, A. A., 22 May 2023, In: Frontiers in Neuroscience. 17, 18 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Jonaitis, J., MacLeod, J. & Pulver, S. R., 15 Apr 2022, In: Journal of Neurophysiology. 127, 4, p. 1098-1116
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review