OVERVIEW

The neocortex plays a key role in sensory perception and higher cognitive functions. Unraveling how this seemingly simple sheet of neurons allows so many complex behaviors is one of the great challenges of neuroscience. Our overall goal is to understand the neural basis of perception.

At the Cortical Circuits Lab we study the cortical areas that are required for visual perception in rodents. Using advanced optical methods, we study axons linking distant areas of the neocortex. We map their connectivity, record the signals they relay and manipulate their activity in animals performing visual tasks in order to understand the logic of inter-areal interactions .

STRATEGY

We apply a structure to function approach to understand the neural basis of visual perception. Wiring diagrams and organizing rules of neural circuits inspire and contrains mechanistic models of brain function.  Using optical and electrophysiological techniques we study the wiring logic of cortical circuits. We also measure the activity of the same circuits in mice performing perceptual tasks using  two-photon imaging, high density microelectrode arrays and whole cell recordings . This combined approach allows us to understand both the computations implemented by cortical circuits as well as how they emerge from the underlying neuronal network. We are testing to what extent conserved circuits motifs perform similar computations across the neocortex and how sensory evidence and internal factors are combined to build a coherent model of the world

Using novel circuit-mapping methods we identify organizing rules of cortico-cortical connections

Recordings from axons linking distant brain areas in animals preforming perceptual tasks