Team Science Projects

We study the biological mechanisms that enable animals to learn the structure of their world through free exploration. To do this, we collect long-term, uninterrupted records of the natural behavior, brain activity, and network connectivity of mice while they repeatedly interact with odors in their environment.

We are developing and using genetic, electrophysiological, optical, and behavioral approaches to investigate how the brain adaptively controls behavior. The team focuses on understanding the descending circuits that control the execution of actions and how they change when actions are reinforced and refined.

We are using large-scale electrophysiology to study how distributed brain regions coordinate their spiking activity to guide behavior in changing environments.

We are uncovering how neural signals are transmitted from subcortical brain regions via the thalamus to modulate cortical activity and thereby influence behavior.

We are combining longitudinal in vivo calcium imaging with spatial transcriptomics to investigate how specific cell types restructure their activity during novelty processing and task learning.

We are studying task-switching behaviors in mice to determine how the brain controls the flow of its own activity and how neuronal circuits are reconfigured to dynamically route information for different tasks.

OpenScope provides access to cutting-edge neurophysiological methods to scientists across the world. Similar to astronomical observatories, scientists propose experiments that are then executed at the Allen Institute.

Our goal is to investigate the computations performed by individual neurons of different types, based on measuring synaptic input and firing output.

We are studying the molecular and anatomical subclasses of neuromodulator neurons and exploring how networks use neuromodulators to drive learning and decision making.

We are using optical connection-mapping techniques and brain computer interface (BCI) in the context of a learning task to ask how the brain updates its synapses to support behavioral learning without interfering with existing skills or memories.