Trevor Sorrells, PhD

Despite our vastly larger brains, mosquitoes outsmart us in their relentless quest to feed on our blood. The Sorrells Lab studies mosquito behavior to understand the neurobiology and evolution of blood-feeding. Mosquitoes are adept at detecting many signals from humans, including the CO2 from our breath, heat from our bodies, odor from our skin, and contrast from our clothing. They process these signals in their brain, guiding them as they fly toward us, land on our skin, and pierce a blood vessel. A major goal of the lab is to uncover which neurons combine sensory signals to direct attraction and biting behavior. Some of these neurons control individual actions, whereas others may control the “motivation” to bite. By understanding what neurons control biting behavior, we could potentially develop new methods to prevent biting, such as more effective insect repellents. Our research also gives us insight into how a specialist animal with a small brain can succeed against a much better-equipped foe.

behavioral testing ;  gene editing ;  naturalistic experiments ;  optogenetics ;  transcriptomics ;  transgenics  

circuits ;  evolution ;  genetics ;  molecular biology ;  motivation ;  systems neuroscience  

Trevor Sorrells received his BS in Biology from Stanford University in 2009. He completed his PhD in the lab of Alexander Johnson at the University of California, San Francisco, where he studied the evolution of yeast transcription regulation. As a postdoctoral fellow with Leslie Vosshall at Rockefeller University, Sorrells discovered a persistent behavioral state in the mosquito Aedes aegypti that sustains their pursuit of humans over time. He started his lab at Yale in 2022 to study the neural circuits of mosquitoes and their evolutionary origin. He enjoys traveling, exercising, cooking, and gardening with his husband and daughter.