Behind this text: 367 neurons recorded simultaneously, playing in real time from a 97-minute Neuropixels session in our lab. Each mark is one spike; rows are sorted by depth in the brain and colored by region.
We study how latent neural dynamics give rise to adaptive and maladaptive behavior. We use data-driven tools to connect cells, circuits and whole-animal behavior in rodents, with a focus on how dopamine, endocannabinoids and oxytocin support motivation and learning, with a particular interest in substance use disorders.
5,833 neurons from 10 mice and 27 sessions, placed in the Allen mouse brain atlas. Drag to rotate; click a region to hide it.
Not everyone who uses drugs loses control over their use. We record hundreds of striatal and cortical neurons at once with Neuropixels while mice self-administer drugs, look for the activity that marks a move away from seeking, and test it with closed-loop optogenetics.
Pregnancy reshapes the brain about as much as adolescence does, yet we know little about what drugs taken during it do to the mother. We follow her oxytocin and dopamine signaling after birth with in vivo imaging, electrophysiology and behavioral economics.
Dopamine has long been credited with tagging the cues that matter, but endocannabinoids in the prefrontal cortex also steer attention toward cues that predict reward or punishment. We take apart the molecular machinery behind this lipid signal and record how it changes the way cortical neurons respond to those cues.
We're not hiring right now, but we're always glad to meet talented, motivated people who care about the same questions we do. If that's you, write to us. We're happy to talk about rotations and future openings.
