Scholl Lab
Principal Investigator: Benjamin Kyle Scholl
Institution: University of Colorado Anschutz (Aurora, CO)
Primary Subfield: Neuroscience
Recruitment Status: ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Measuring the functional connectivity between cortical neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) remains a pivotal challenge in neuroscience, particularly in understanding how selective visual responses emerge from myriad synaptic inputs. This proposal aims to identify the principles of functional connectivity within layer 2/3 of ferret V1, building upon previous work in mouse and classical work in carnivores and primates. Our central hypothesis posits that inter-columnar connections, following the functional similarity principles observed in mouse V1, are essential for feature selectivity. We propose two main aims. First, using all-optical interrogation, we will perturb and map excitatory and inhibitory neuronal interactions within and between orientation columns, testing hypotheses about the spatial profile of excitatory connectivity, the functional specificity of inhibitory interneurons, and the dynamic recruitment of functional connections. Second, we will employ two-photon calcium imaging to map and analyze the organization and integration of synaptic inputs on the dendritic tree during diverse visual stimuli presentations. These studies will assess th…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R01EY037270-01A1: Recurrent interactions in layer 2/3 ferret visual cortex (2026)
- 7R21EY034992-02: A genetic approach to elucidate the role of NMDA in the development and function of horizontal connections in ferret visual cortex (2024)
Explore 700+ US Biology Labs on FindBioLabs.com