Bram Nuttin

When an animal sees a threat in its environment, it is crucial that it reacts appropriately to maximize its chances of survival. In my PhD, I aim to uncover how distinct neuronal populations in the superior colliculus and their downstream pathways encode visual threats and drive defensive behaviors.

To study this, I combine computational and experimental techniques. Based on electrophysiological recordings, I infer neuronal population dynamics in the circuit and what their relationship is to the visual scene and behavior. I then use optogenetics to test these inferred relationships.