Nervous system patterning and evolution in nematodes
Mechanisms of touch detection in vertebrates
Lessons on social bonds from poison frogs
Exploratory learning in biological cells
X-ray tomography for Circuit Neuroscience – Towards X-ray Connectomics
Zebrafish behavior: eat, sleep, optimize
Neural codes for natural behaviors in bats
Abstract: We study the neural basis of natural behaviors, in particular navigation and social behaviors – taking a “Natural Neuroscience” approach. In my talk I will discuss three recent studies: (1) Our recent discovery that in social groups, hippocampal neurons encode rich social signals – including the identities, sex, hierarchy, and affiliation of other individuals. […]
Mapping space: grids, borders, and places
Abstract: With the internet, society has been exposed to puzzling and exquisite animal behavior, while neuroscience has vastly concentrated on a few inbred animal models studied in trained unnatural settings. Changing this trend is imperative. By developing a novel behavioral paradigm in neuroscience, involving rats playing ‘Hide and Seek,’ we were able to study mammalian play […]
Embodied motor control of the animal voice
Abstract: Our voice is important for human communication, identity, and artistic expression, and laidd the basis for our unique cultural evolution. Making sounds with our voices is also the main way all mammals, amphibians, and birds communicate. This process involves complex and carefully coordinated body movements, which are crucial for success in competition for resources […]
Spatial cognition in zebrafish: learning flexible world models in a compact biological brain
Abstract: Place cells are the neural substrate of spatial cognitive maps, which dynamically update as an animal discovers relevant information about its environment. A longstanding question in neuroscience is how place cells can efficiently integrate spatial (e.g. position and heading) and temporal (e.g. salient events) information to support flexible navigation. Progress has been slowed by […]