Cortical circuits of visuospatial selective attention

The ability to selectively attend to relevant cues in the surrounding environment is called selective attention and it is a basic and conserved cognitive function.

Here, I will explore neuronal mechanisms underlying visuospatial selective attention in mice, with a focus on higher-order cortical areas.

Using a novel behavioural paradigm derived from a primate/human-centric design, and using state-of-the-art genetic, imaging and electrophysiological approaches, I aim to define cell-type specific cortical control of visuospatial attention. In the first year, I will setup the behavioural rig and undertake training of mice.

In the second year, I will use widefield calcium imaging of specific excitatory cortical cell types from the entire dorsal surface of cortex during behavior, to identify activated cortical areas of activity.

Subsequent Neuropixel recordings in the third year, across the layers from identified higher order cortical regions (frontal/parietal) will yield high-throughput layer specific activity patterns from across the cortical layers during the task, which will be combined with optogenetic manipulation of cell-type specific activity, in order to tease out their individual contributions to behavior.

I propose that an “integrated salience map” encoding the “intent” to drive attentional behaviour exists in the fronto/parietal areas which, when defined, will represent a quantum leap in our understanding of attentional mediation of goal-directed behavior.