Network Dynamics, Behavior & Arousal State

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Experimental work across a variety of species has demonstrated that spontaneously generated behaviors are robustly coupled to variation in neural activity within the cerebral cortex.  We use data recorded from mesoscopic widefield imaging and cellular resolution 2-photon microscopy to investigate the dynamics of correlational structure of the brain at different spatial scales, as a function of task-related behavior and arousal state.

 

Network Plasticity During Learning

 

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How do we learn? How do cortical networks transform to facilitate acquisition of a new task? Does the brain change the way behavior is encoded through learning? We develop novel analysis methods to explore network reorganization and representation of behavior across different time scales of training of a new task. 

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Neurodevelopmental & Degenerative Disorders

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Neurodevelopmental perturbations have provided substantial insight into the cellular- and circuit-level consequences of genetic mutations linked to autism, schizophrenia, and other human disorders. We collaborate with the Higley and Cardin labs at Yale University to explore the dynamics of cortical networks in mutant mice whose developmental dysfunction causes Rett Syndrome.