Alla Karpova wants to develop a mechanistic understanding of how the brain infers and uses environmental structure. Karpova and her team focus on how frontal cortical ensemble dynamics represent latent hierarchical structure that an animal discovers, and how these ensemble dynamics are flexibly adapted to accommodate new evidence or new structures by interacting networks and pathways spanning multiple brain regions. The team starts by developing carefully tailored behavioral frameworks and deploys a combination of advanced electrophysiological and optogenetic methods and innovative analysis techniques. In addition, they devote significant resources to the development of new tools and instrumentation for deciphering the neural circuit basis of complex behavior in rodents.
A new viral vector will help scientists understand large-scale neural networks. Janelia scientists are learning how the brain switches between random and strategic modes. In experiments with rats, researchers found that the rejection of an old belief correlates with abrupt changes in activity in a region of the brain involved in cognitive functions such as reward anticipation and decision-making. HHMI has recruited 10 additional scientists to head research laboratories at its Janelia Farm Research Campus.