In vivo Neurophysiology
About
We seek to understand how neural networks in the living brain integrate and process sensory information to guide accurate behavior. To address this question, we study the brain function of awake mice that perform different behavioral tasks. We use a combination of cutting-edge neurophysiological tools, such as high-density electrophysiology and 2-photon functional imaging, to monitor and manipulate the activity of large populations of individual neurons with high precisions. Our main focus is to reveal how incoming information is represented in different brain areas and identify which areas are particularly important to guide behavioral decisions. Moreover, we study how information is shared across brain regions through specific projection pathways and how information processing and transmission is affected by different brain states, such as attention or arousal.
Answering these questions is critical to revealing the basic mechanisms of neural information processing in the healthy and diseased brain. By leveraging our expertise in neurophysiology and brain function, we also actively facilitate the development and deployment of novel neurotechnology at the IBI-3, such as flexible and transparent neural implants, to promote the translation of our findings towards new applications in humans.
Funded by: Helmholtz Investigator Group
Research Topics
Neural information processing
The transformation of complex sensory information into behavioral decisions requires the coordinated activity of many brain regions. We want to understand how these regions process sensory inputs and interact with each other to generate a unified behavioral decision. Using high-density opto- and electrophysiology, we study the function of individual neurons in large neural networks of awake mice that perform a perceptual task. Our goal is to reveal the underlying principles that allow biological neural networks to efficiently process sensory information.
Neuromodulation of cortical circuits and behavior
Neuromodulatory brain centers orchestrate the highly coordinated function of different brain areas and are often disrupted in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or Schizophrenia. By combining functional imaging and high-density electrophysiology, we study how neuromodulation affects the function of different brain areas to provide insights that can guide the development of novel treatments for neurological diseases.
Flexible neural interfaces
A major challenge for neuroelectronic stimulation or recording devices is the degradation of signal quality due to implant rejection over time. To overcome this problem, we develop and test new flexible and ultrathin neuroelectronic interfaces. These devices can interact with neural tissue over very long time scales and form the basis for long-term studies of neural activity and novel therapeutic tools for neurological disorders in humans.
Members
Simon MusallHead of the In-vivo neurophysiology lab.
Junior Professor of Neuromodulation, RWTH AachenBuilding 02.4v / Room 218+49 2461/61-3539
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Last Modified: 04.06.2024