Research
The goal of our lab is to make discoveries about how neural circuits interact and change with learning to drive behavior
We're driven to understand fundamental principles about how the brain works, by investigating questions like:
How does the activity of neurons as individuals and populations relate to movement?
How is sensory activity transformed into motor commands?
How does activity flow between brain regions during behavior?
How does activity change when learning when and how to move?
What activity in which regions are key for learning and driving behavior?
We address these questions in mice, using techniques like:
Learned behavior
Neural recording
Neural manipulation
Lever pressing
Sensorimotor assocations
Widefield imaging
Neuropixels electrophysiology
Optogenetics
Pharmacology
We are particularly interested in the cortex-basal ganglia-thalamus circuit. These structures are connected in a loop, and they depend on one another to change during learning and drive behavior. We don't know how this circuit contributes to behavior and learning, and many basic properties of how activity moves across this circuit are still unknown. Using the modern systems neuroscience toolbox, we can investigate these questions in new and more effective ways.
