Plasticity and Processing in Somatosensory Cortex

Welcome to the homepage of the Feldman Lab at UC Berkeley.

Spring 2010

We are a neuroscience research lab who study the function and development of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex. We seek to understand how cortical circuits process sensory information and store information during learning. We also investigate how sensory experience guides and optimizes circuit development in early postnatal life. This work is critical for understanding normal brain function, and for developing new insights into neurological disorders such as mental retardation, learning disability, autism, and epilepsy.

We study synaptic physiology and circuit function, sensory coding and processing, and the neural basis for tactile sensory behavior. The model system is the somatosensory cortex of rodents, which is a leading system for understanding cortical neuron and circuit function and plasticity (e.g., Feldman & Brecht 2005, Petersen 2007, Lubke & Feldmeyer 2007, Diamond et al., 2008 and Feldman 2009).

Our lab is part of the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, at UC Berkeley. We are also a member of the NSF-funded Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center, whose goal is to understand how timing affects learning on the neurobiological and cognitive levels, and to use this information to improve education.

Areas of Investigation