in 1993, investigating visual system development and regeneration in frogs and salamanders under the supervision of Gerhard Roth.

Becker joined the University of Edinburgh in 2005 as Senior Lecturer and was appointed personal chair in neural development and regeneration in 2013.

Becker's research focuses on a better understanding of the factors governing the generation of neurons and axonal pathfinding in the CNS during development and regeneration using the zebrafish model to identify fundamental mechanisms in vertebrates with clear translational implications for CNS injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

[7][8] Their research found that functional regeneration is near perfect, but anatomical repair does not fully recreate the previous network, instead, new neurons are generated and extensive rewiring occurs.

[13][14] More recently, they have established larval regeneration paradigms in which highly selective cell ablation can be introduced[15] and fundamental principles of functional repair, regenerative neurogenesis and rewiring can be analyzed.