Funded Awards

Project Summary Navigating within an odor plume is a complex task due to unpredictable changes in odor concentration.

SUMMARY The modular organization of the cerebral cortex is defined by anatomically and functionally segregated cortical columns, as well as layer-specific anatomical and functional connections that span multiple columns. Dysregulation of the developmental processes governing cortical formation can r

Abstract A key challenge in neuroscience is the development of methods to non-invasively manipulate specific neuronal cell types in vivo.

At the end of 2020, the IARPA MICrONS program will conclude with an automated reconstruction of all neurons in a cubic millimeter of mouse visual cortex, along with the neurons’ synaptic connectivity and calcium-imaged responses to video stimuli.

Abstract While current efforts in the analysis of neural circuits focus on interneuronal connectivity mediated by chemical synapses, less is known about the contribution of electrical synapses.

Abstract Transcranial alternating current stimulation (TACS) non-invasively alters neuroelectric activity in the human brain by applying weak, time-varying electric currents to the scalp.

The complex behaviors of all vertebrates are determined by the brain where neurons are connected by synapses. The average volume of synapses corresponds to a sphere of ~400 nm radius—a size scale that can barely be resolved using conventional optical microscopy methods.

Abstract Scalable approaches to modulate neural activity during complex behaviors are essential to basic study of normal and aberrant brain function.

Project Summary/Abstract The connections between different brain regions play an important role in normal brain function. This project proposes to create an end-to-end pipeline for analysis of human white matter connections using “tractometry” methods.

Project Summary/Abstract The Research Plan describes a series of experiments that will examine how spatial information is processed in the mammalian brain.

Summary While glial research has advanced in rodent models, significantly less progress has been made in understanding human-specific diversity of glia at a molecular and a functional level, both during development and in adulthood.

Project Summary Approximately, 40% of TBI patients discharged from the hospital will develop long-term disability with 70% experiencing chronic cognitive impairments that disrupt vocational, social, and emotional functioning.

Despite substantial progress characterizing neural responses, it is particularly challenging to determine causal interactions within recurrently connected circuits due to the confounding influence of the interconnections.

Humans and animals often make decisions under uncertainty, whereby each decision affects not only the immediate reward gain but also longer-term information gain.

Throughout the brain, specialized systems carry out different but complementary functions, sometimes independently but often in cooperation. However, we do not understand how their activity is dynamically coordinated, and dysregulation of this is associated with many mental health conditions.

The overall goal of this project is to develop a reinforcement learning (RL) theory of motivation, understood here as motivational salience, and to test the conclusions of this theory using experimental observations obtained in the ventral pallidum (VP).

Neuromodulation is crucial for information processing throughout the brain. Neuromodulators influence neuronal function by acting through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to alter neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, which can then affect circuit functions.

Brain dynamic low-frequency (

PROJECT SUMMARY Synaptic dysfunction is a common feature of neuropsychiatric disease. For example, a hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is synaptic fibrilization and aggregation of key proteins that participate in synapse and cell loss.