Laura Burnett
Laura Burnett
Research Data Scientist · Systems Neuroscience Ph.D.
I’m excited about creating tools and workflows to help faciliate scientific research and improve the reach of scientific knowledge.
Recent Projects
Making sense of a fruit fly's neural wiring diagram
Visual system connectivity analysis and 3D visualisation of >50,000 neurons
Connectome Cell Type Explorer
Python CLI to generate an interactive web resource from a connectome dataset
Characterisation of collective fruit fly behaviour to moving patterns
End-to-end pipeline for a high-throughput behavioural screenResearch experience
August 2023 - June 2026
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Reiser Lab, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Janelia Research Campus
September 2016 - May 2023
PhD Student
Joesch Lab, Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
June 2016 - August 2016
Graduate Summer Intern
Hippenmeyer Lab, Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
September 2015 - June 2016
Master’s Student
with Dr Conor McCann within the Burns Lab, UCL Institute of Child Health, London
February 2015 - June 2015
Undergraduate research placement
Young Lab, The University of Melbourne, Australia
September 2014 - November 2014
Undergraduate lab experience
with Dr Joanne Britto in the Tan Lab, The Florey Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Education
September 2015 - May 2016
Natural Sciences MSc (First Class Honours)
Neuroscience
Univeristy College London (UCL)
September 2012 - May 2015
Natural Sciences BSc (First Class Honours)
Organic chemistry & Biomedical sciences
Univeristy College London (UCL)
July 2014 - July 2015
Study Abroad (First Class Honours & Dean’s List Award for outstanding grades)
The University of Melbourne, Australia
Publications
2026
Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system
Berg, S., … Burnett, L.E., et al. Cell. 2026.
2025
Connectome-driven neural inventory of a complete visual system
Nern, A., Loesche, F., Takemura, Sy., Burnett, L., et al. Nature. 2025.
2024
Burnett, L.E., Koppensteiner, P., Symonova, O., Masson, T., Vega-Zuniga, T., Contreras, X., Rülicke, T., Shigemoto, R., Novarino, G., Joesch, M. PLoS Biology. 2024.
2019
Hao, M.M., … Burnett, L.E. et. al. Developmental Biology. 2019.
2017
McCann C.J., … Burnett, L.E. et. al. Nature Communications. 2017.
2017
Beattie, R., Postiglione, M.P., Burnett, L.E. et. al. Neuron. 2017.
PhD Thesis
About
Hi! 👋 I’m Laura - I’m a research data scientist who’s worked in neuroscience labs for over a decade.
When I’m not at my computer you can find me with my nose in a book (both fiction and non-fiction), listening to a podcast, running along trails, trying to grow enough basil to make “fresh” pesto year round, painting, drawing or making linoleum relief prints.
I have enjoyed taking advantage of the international nature of a career in science and have lived in the UK, US, Austria and Australia.
I love working with data - sifting through noisy and complex datasets to glean some insight and making informative and aesthetically-pleasing plots.