Ph.D. (Neurobiology) 1986, Peking University, China
We study how individual neurons in the neocortex interact to
generate population neuronal activities that underlie cognition and
other brain functions. Population activities are composed of the
coordinated activity of up to billions of neurons. Currently we study
how oscillations and propagating waves can be generated by small
ensembles of neocortical neurons.
Voltage-sensitive dye imaging is our major tool for visualizing
waves and neuronal ensembles. The dyes can stain neuronal membrane and
change color when membrane potential changes. This allows us to map
population neuronal activity dynamically. The laboratory is also
actively involved in the development of optical imaging techniques.