Research Interest
The Cortical Circuits & Cognition Lab (C³) investigates how dynamic neural activity within cortical circuits supports short-term memory, sensory processing, and adaptive behavior. We are particularly interested in how the brain maintains internal representations over time and flexibly updates them in response to changing external demands.
Our research combines in vivo/ ex vivo electrophysiology, two-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, and behaviorally relevant tasks in rodents to dissect the functional architecture of the prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and their thalamic interactions. By studying the temporal structure of neuronal activity, we aim to uncover the principles by which cortical circuits encode and manipulate information.
In parallel with our basic science work, we explore circuit-level disruptions in neuropsychiatric disease. In particular, we are investigating how short-term memory degradation and sensory misperception emerge in a mouse model of schizophrenia, focusing on NMDA receptor hypofunction and thalamocortical dysconnectivity. These studies aim to bridge mechanistic insights from systems neuroscience with clinically relevant cognitive dysfunction.
Ongoing projects include:
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Mapping thalamocortical dynamics underlying short-term memory maintenance.
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Identifying inhibitory mechanisms that shape sensory and cognitive signal flow in cortex.
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Understanding how expectations modulate sensory representations in health and disease.
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Characterizing aberrant cortical activity patterns in schizophrenia models during memory and perception tasks.
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Developing novel behavioral paradigms to probe perception, memory updating, and attentional control.
Through these efforts, our long-term goal is to uncover how the cortex computes meaning from experience—and how this process is disrupted in mental illness.