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Gaby Maimon studies how the Drosophila brain calculates and stores quantitative internal variables – such as distances, angles, time intervals, and event probabilities – to guide behavior. Using advanced genetic, physiological, and behavioral methods, Maimon and his team identify neurons exhibiting physiological activity that tracks the value of internal variables, then determine how these internally constructed signals impact behavior. Alternatively, the team may start with specific behaviors, during which flies are compelled to calculate internal variables, and then work to describe the circuits, cells, and molecules that mediate those tasks. The lab’s long-term goal is to provide comprehensive descriptions of how higher brain functions are implemented, from molecules to movements.