Our project is aimed towards identifying and quantifying the cellular microcircuits, neurochemistry and plasticity of neural networks that connect the cerebral cortex and the thalamus, as well as a number of systems afferent to the thalamus and its modification through stimulation or injury.

These complex networks are the biological substrate of cognitive, perceptual and voluntary motor control capabilities. Although our objective is to advance understanding of the human brain, the implementation of the  experimental techniques with the greatest problem-solving capacity must, in large part, be conducted in animal, primate and rodent models.

The information that our studies provide is necessary to understanding the cellular basis of higher brain functions as the foundation for understanding its normal and pathological function.