Hindmarsh Sten received the 2024 Lindsley prize for his doctoral research in the Ruta lab at the Rockefeller University. His work focused on how internal and external factors coalesce in the neural circuits of fruit flies to sculpt behavioral priorities, such as fighting and mating. His multidisciplinary approach combined neurogenetics with neuronal stimulation and recordings of brain activity to gain a mechanistic understanding of how the fruit fly brain processes information in a context-dependent manner. Sten developed an elegant virtual reality system that allowed him to employ functional imaging to quantify the neuronal responses of a male fly as it perceived and interacted with a female fly or another male. He documented activation of distinct sensorimotor circuits that mediate mating behaviors such as pursuing a potential mate or repelling a rival male. The combination of detailed behavioral observations and manipulation of specific neural pathways provide a fuller picture of how internal states interact with sensory cues in fruit flies to influence complex social interactions. Sten completed his PhD in 2023 and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University.