Goal directed behaviours rely critically on internal representations of the surrounding space. While we understand increasingly well how neurons represent space, how brains construct such spatial representations and use them to guide action remain unknown. Here, we investigate the transformation of neural spatial representations into actions, and how such representations emerge from sensorimotor experience. Experimentally, we focus on the mouse superior colliculus (SC), a brain region conserved through evolution and uniquely positioned at the convergence of sensory and motor streams to mediate spatio-motor transformations. By engaging the mouse in newly developed spatial tasks, we dissect the role of molecularly defined collicular neurons in the execution of ethologically relevant behaviours, uncovering novel circuits and computations that underlie spatially guided behaviours.
Organizer
Zhong Ren
z.ren@erasmusmc.nl