My research has been recently focused on the visual circuits in the retina and the role that neural activity plays in wiring up these circuits during development [1]-[4]. In collaboration with Chichilnisky Lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Justin Elstrott and I recorded electrophysiological activity in the retinas of rats and mice using a multi-electrode array (MEA). The MEA allowed us to record the activity of dozens of retinal neurons simultaneously. By focusing an image from a computer screen onto the retina, we were able record the responses of different types of cells to a set of visual stimuli. I then used these responses to determine the receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells, and tracked the spatial arrangement of the receptive fields during postnatal development. Surprisingly, I discovered that visual experience was not required for the receptive fields to form spatially regular mosaics that homogeneously covered the visual space [1].

Professional Development Resources

I have recently come across a facinating report on the state of the neurotechnology industry and its georgaphical clustering, which I recommend to all neuroscientists thinking about a career in the industry.