Artificial activation of neural circuitry through electrical microstimulation and optogenetic techniques is important for both scientific discovery and clinical translation. However, neural activity generated by these artificial means differs dramatically from normal circuit function, both locally and in the propagation to downstream brain structures.The precise nature of these differences and … More New Publication – Electrical and Optical Activation of Mesoscale Neural Circuits with Implications for Coding

The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for … More Stanley lab receives NIH Brain Initiative award

Auralie Pala will be joining the Stanley lab as a post doctoral researcher beginning in December. She comes to us from Carl Peterson’s lab at the Ecole Polytechnige Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne Switzerland. Her PhD work was in 2-photon guided patching exploring cell type specific cortical connectivity.

We will have multiple posters at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago next week. Please plan to stop by and check them out! Saturday, Oct 17, 2015, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM 65.01/M37: Controlling transmission of sensory information by optical manipulation of the thalamo-cortical pathway in the anesthetized mouse. *P. BORDEN, … More SfN 2015 Poster Preview

Optogenetics provides a powerful tool for studying the brain by allowing researchers to activate neurons using simple light-based signals. But until now, these optical stimulation techniques have been “open loop,” meaning they lack the kind of feedback control that most biological and engineering systems use to maintain a steady operating … More Closing the Loop with Optogenetics