Information in the brain is encoded in the electrical activity of a few tens of billions of neurons. Understanding what the 'neural code' is and how it is modulated by our behavioral goals has proved to be a challenging problem. Stimulus selection in the early visual system is an ideal place to address this issue due to a wealth of experimental data. I will discuss the application of physics-type methods to link the behavior at the level of a single neuron to that at the population level involving millions of neurons. From experiment, simulation and theoretical analysis it emerges that so-called interneurons play an important role in modulating the neural firing rate and coherence in various frequency bands. I will report on recent work that for the first time maps specific functions onto specific interneuron types and propose methods to test these hypotheses.
Coffee & Cookies before the presentation at 3:15 pm, and refreshments after the presentation will both be served in Room 128.