Grant: Project Grant

Our brain is a complex computer performing billions of operations every day to support higher brain functions such as memory and learning. Each neuron is a very small processing unit able to integrate sensory or contextual information from the environment. Within the same neuronal circuit, all the neurons form a circuit dedicated to processing specific information from the outside world. For example, the visual cortex is dedicated to processing all visual information, such as a moving or static object. In recent years, evidence has suggested that neurons are not the only type of cells able to perform these operations. Astrocytes, a subtype of glial cells, have long been seen as only supporting and nurturing cells, but are now believed to be way more important for neuronal circuits to perform normally and optimally. While astrocytes can also integrate and process information to support higher brain functions, including visual processing, they can also modulate how neurons process information. More than being distinctive units, neurons and astrocytes talk together and influence each other. Astrocytes and neurons form a very entangled circuitry that requires better investigation to understand how they interact to support complex brain functions. This project aims to better understand the role of astrocytes in the visual cortex, how they can modulate information integration from neurons or integrate information themselves, and refine our understanding of the visual cortex in health and diseases.