The function and connectivity of cortical cells and circuits

The wiring and function of cortical circuits underlies brain operation and thus our ability to think, feel and behave. To genuinely understand this process, a detailed knowledge of cell-to-cell connectivity and neuronal network function is required. Professor Margrie aims to generate the first detailed wiring diagram of sensory cortex by combining classic in vivo electrophysiological approaches with two-photon microscopy and rabies-virus-based neuronal tracing methods. By establishing the function of individual cells and identifying the local and long-range circuits in which they operate, he will generate three-dimensional connectivity maps and use them to quantify the function and structure of cortical circuits. This combinatorial approach will then be applied to investigate and quantify the wiring profiles of healthy and diseased brains.