RUDY

We are interested in how neuronal activity regulates behavior. Toward this goal, we study how brain function depends on the properties of individual neurons and the circuits they make with other neurons. Our main focus is on the cerebral cortex, the largest and most complex part of the mammalian brain. The computations that take place in this brain area are essential for perception, memory, motor control, and cognition. It is where acquired sensory information about the external world is integrated with past experience (memories) in order to predict and command appropriate behavior. We aim to understand how the basic properties of different types of cortical neurons - the building blocks of the cerebral cortex - and their connections contribute to behavior. We study the diversity of cortical neurons and the connectivity among different cell types, as well as the ion channels and other intrinsic factors that control their excitability, the dynamic properties of their synapses, and how..

Primary location: New York United States