▁and ▁Mut ant ▁D ros oph ila ". ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁ ▁Bon ini ▁entered ▁the ▁Neu ros ci ences ▁Training ▁Program ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin – Mad ison . ▁There , ▁she ▁completed ▁doctor al ▁research ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory ▁of ▁David ▁L . ▁Nelson , ▁ ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁Doctor ate ▁( Ph . D .) ▁in ▁Neu ros cience ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁Bon ini ' s ▁post - do ctor al ▁research ▁was ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory ▁of ▁Se ym our ▁Ben zer ▁( be havior al ▁gen etic ist ) ▁at ▁the ▁California ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology . ▁F oc using ▁on ▁using ▁the ▁fruit ▁fly ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁for ▁understanding ▁the ▁gen etic ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁brain ▁and ▁behavior , ▁Bon ini ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁that ▁D ros oph ila ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁model ▁of ▁human ▁ne uro de gener ative ▁disease . ▁ ▁Research ▁ ▁The ▁fruit ▁fly ▁as ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁human ▁ne uro de gener ative ▁disease ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Bon ini ' s ▁research ▁conclus ively ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁D ros oph ila ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁in ▁v ivo ▁model ▁for ▁human ▁ne uro de gener ative ▁disease . ▁Using ▁this ▁model , ▁Bon ini ' s ▁research ▁group ▁subsequently ▁discovered ▁unexpected ▁and ▁novel ▁path ways ▁that ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁normal ▁bi ology , ▁injury , ▁and ▁disease . ▁In ▁the ▁pione ering ▁study ▁that ▁showed ▁that