Inhibitory control of visually-guided behaviour

Cognitive control of behaviour is a remarkable ability of the brain, enabling flexible selection of actions in response to the same environmental challenges depending on circumstance and prior knowledge (for example, whether to run away from or investigate a potential threat). How such behavioural flexibility is achieved by the brain remains unclear. 

We aim to uncover new mechanisms by which behavioural responses to sensory stimuli are controlled and regulated. We will focus on novel candidate brain circuits in the thalamus, which can inhibit or promote automatic visually-guided behaviours. We will identify which neurons and connections enable this effect, by recording and manipulating their activity during different behaviours in mice, and will determine if these circuits implement cognitive control over visually-triggered actions. 

Understanding neural circuit mechanisms of behavioural control is fundamental for providing a basis for identifying causes of inappropriate or impulsive responses in psychiatric disorders.