Dr. Richard Baines

Biography

Richard Baines is a Professor and Head of the Division of Neuroscience at the University of Manchester. His research primarily focuses on the mechanisms of animal magnetosensitivity, particularly using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. His work provides experimental validation for the role of the flavoprotein Cryptochrome in this phenomenon. Baines has identified alternative mechanisms of magnetosensitivity involving the binding of flavin FAD, expanding the understanding of how certain animals can sense magnetic fields. He is semi-retired, teaching part-time, and is open to accepting applications for undergraduate, PhD, and postdoctoral positions in his lab. In addition to his research work, Baines has held various postdoctoral and lecturer positions, including roles at the University of Warwick and the University of Cambridge. He has served as an assistant editor for journals such as Current Opinion in Physiology and has contributed to datasets in the field of invertebrate neuroscience.

Research Interests