Manuel Diaz-Rios

Fulbright-University of St Andrews Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Manuel (Manolo) Diaz-Rios is a Professor of Neuroscience and Biology at Bowdoin College. His work centers on how environmental stressors such as temperature and plastic pollution affect the nervous system of mammals, with a focus on cellular and molecular changes in neuron function. Manolo pursues this work through a combination of electrophysiological and molecular techniques. His writing has been published globally and his role as mentor to young scientists has been recognised. Manolo’s Fulbright project will investigate and document the effects of plastic pollution and high temperatures, which are two of the most significant stressors of our planet. Although some research studies have looked at the effects of plastics and temperature on the nervous system, the effects of both stressors have not been significantly explored. Manolo proposes using Drosophila larvae, a perfect model due to its high accessibility for looking at the effects of stressors on the ability to change and adapt in response to stimuli (plasticity) of neurons that control movement via imaging and neural recordings. This project will serve as the start of a collaborative effort between both institutions involved (Bowdoin College and St. Andrews University), impacting research and educational experiences for their students.