Grant: Project Grant

Complex wiring patterns within neural circuits give rise to our mental abilities and, all too often, disabilities. Yet, we do not understand how neurons assemble these important structures. In particular, the rules and mechanisms that govern circuit assembly are poorly understood. To learn more, we will study the assembly of neural circuits in the retina. Decades of elegant studies make the retina an ideal platform for developmental circuit studies and its anatomy, cell types and overall function are well understood. We will leverage this knowledge and use a multidisciplinary approach that combines optogenetic circuit mapping, physiological methods, and molecular-genetic tools to uncover basic principles of neural circuit assembly. Our studies aim to draw links among genes, circuitry, and function, offering immense potential to understand how these relationships contribute to disease.