dialogue

studentwise: How does an owl hear?

Ben Drucker ’22, in the department of mathematics & statistics, researched the neural dynamics of high-frequency coincidence detection in the bird sound localization circuit with Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Joshua Goldwyn, through a grant Goldwyn received from the National Science Foundation.
Two men sit outside and look at a computer screen.
laurence kesterson
“I was very excited to embark on the coding portion of our research,” says Ben Drucker ’22, (left) who worked with Joshua Goldwyn, assistant professor of mathematics & statistics, to develop and study a mathematical model that describes the activity of highly specialized neurons in the auditory system of barn owls.
Why neurons, owls, and sound?: Sound source localization is a remarkable feat of sensory processing; sound locations are detected on the basis of extremely small time differences. The brain cells engaged in sound source localization are among the fastest and most temporally-precise. Barn owls have long been a subject of interest in the auditory science community because, as nocturnal predators, they rely on their sense of hearing to locate prey.
What they did: They developed a mathematical model that describes the activity of neurons in the auditory system of barn owls that play a critical role in sound source localization. These neurons respond to sounds in high-frequency ranges (thousands of Hertz) and yet can be used to detect microsecond-scale time differences in these sounds. Drucker and Goldwyn identified essential features for creating high-frequency temporal precision in these neurons.
Major findings: Previous research showed that these auditory neurons are driven by high-frequency fluctuating inputs. Drucker and Goldwyn used their mathematical model to analyze how these neurons extract information about sound source locations from these quickly-varying inputs. One key factor they identified was the strength of connection between two regions of the cell, called the soma and axon. Drucker and Goldwyn showed that when electrical signals do not pass easily through these two regions, these neurons can be more sensitive to microsecond-scale time differences in their inputs.
Lab time: Their research began in June, 2021. Over ten weeks, they worked to discuss progress and understand new findings. Drucker continued this work as a directed reading course in spring 2022.
Providing support: National Science Foundation, Division of Mathematical Sciences, through a grant designed to support research at undergraduate institutions. Goldwyn will use this grant to support additional students in upcoming summers.
Working collaboratively: “Swarthmore students bring amazing energy and creativity to research projects. I’m always impressed how quickly they can immerse themselves in technical research areas and contribute to scientific advances,” says Goldwyn.
Looking ahead: Goldwyn plans to present this research at conferences, including a meeting of the Mathematical Association of America. Drucker will bring his skills of mathematical modeling, developing original simulation code, and analyzing data to a position at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he will begin working after graduation.

studentwise: How does an owl hear?

Two men sit outside and look at a computer screen.
laurence kesterson
“I was very excited to embark on the coding portion of our research,” says Ben Drucker ’22, (left) who worked with Joshua Goldwyn, assistant professor of mathematics & statistics, to develop and study a mathematical model that describes the activity of highly specialized neurons in the auditory system of barn owls.
Ben Drucker ’22, in the department of mathematics & statistics, researched the neural dynamics of high-frequency coincidence detection in the bird sound localization circuit with Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Joshua Goldwyn, through a grant Goldwyn received from the National Science Foundation.
Why neurons, owls, and sound?: Sound source localization is a remarkable feat of sensory processing; sound locations are detected on the basis of extremely small time differences. The brain cells engaged in sound source localization are among the fastest and most temporally-precise. Barn owls have long been a subject of interest in the auditory science community because, as nocturnal predators, they rely on their sense of hearing to locate prey.
What they did: They developed a mathematical model that describes the activity of neurons in the auditory system of barn owls that play a critical role in sound source localization. These neurons respond to sounds in high-frequency ranges (thousands of Hertz) and yet can be used to detect microsecond-scale time differences in these sounds. Drucker and Goldwyn identified essential features for creating high-frequency temporal precision in these neurons.
Major findings: Previous research showed that these auditory neurons are driven by high-frequency fluctuating inputs. Drucker and Goldwyn used their mathematical model to analyze how these neurons extract information about sound source locations from these quickly-varying inputs. One key factor they identified was the strength of connection between two regions of the cell, called the soma and axon. Drucker and Goldwyn showed that when electrical signals do not pass easily through these two regions, these neurons can be more sensitive to microsecond-scale time differences in their inputs.
Lab time: Their research began in June, 2021. Over ten weeks, they worked to discuss progress and understand new findings. Drucker continued this work as a directed reading course in spring 2022.
Providing support: National Science Foundation, Division of Mathematical Sciences, through a grant designed to support research at undergraduate institutions. Goldwyn will use this grant to support additional students in upcoming summers.
Working collaboratively: “Swarthmore students bring amazing energy and creativity to research projects. I’m always impressed how quickly they can immerse themselves in technical research areas and contribute to scientific advances,” says Goldwyn.
Looking ahead: Goldwyn plans to present this research at conferences, including a meeting of the Mathematical Association of America. Drucker will bring his skills of mathematical modeling, developing original simulation code, and analyzing data to a position at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he will begin working after graduation.
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