Drosophila encountering a parasitoid wasp is a painting inspired by ongoing research by Dr. Kevin Cury of Axel Lab. It is currently on display at the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, & Behavior Institute. The painting visually represents the Drosophila’s consciousness deciding how to react when its predator, the parasitoid wasp, appears to inject its egg into the Drosophila larvae.

***Drosophila encountering a parasitoid wasp***, 2026, Acrylics on canvas, 28x22 inches

Shared consciousness is a part of the NBBxMFA collaboration project (Neurobiology and Behavior PhD students pair up with MFA students to create a piece of art). I collaborated with Krishan Kumar from the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. The painting depicts a Peters's elephantnose fish, larval zebrafish, Caenorhabditis elegans, Rheus macaque, and Drosophila melanogaster, which are commonly studied animals in neuroscience.