Overview

My laboratory is interested in how neural circuits generate sensory perception and behavior. We use a combination of molecular genetic, in vivo imaging, computational and behavioral approaches to determine fundamental functional properties of neural networks in the mouse olfactory cortex. I have joined the Brown Neuroscience Department in January 2018.

A central question in neuroscience is how sensory stimuli are detected and processed by neural circuits in the brain to generate sensory perception and behavior. Our laboratory has recently developed new molecular genetic and viral approaches that allow us to target and manipulate defined neural cell types in the olfactory cortex of mice. We have also characterized, using in vivo two-photon microscopy, electrophysiological recordings and computational approaches, fundamental principles of odor information coding in cortical neural networks. These recent advances open up new opportunities to explore how diverse neural cell types contribute to odor information coding in cortical neural networks, and how this information is transmitted to downstream target areas involved in sensory integration, cognition, and motor control. Finally, we are interested in how learning and experience alter olfactory neural network functions and behavior.

Brown Affiliations

• Neuroscience