Research Supervisor Connect
The vision laboratory is interested in understanding how the images of the visual world are converted in neural information and how this information is represented in the brain. We have previously shown that inhibitory synaptic activity in specific retinal circuits play an important role in lateral inhibition, a physiological phenomenon that is involved in contrast discrimination and adaptation to different light levels.
Camperdown - School of Medical Sciences - Bosch Institute
Masters/PHD
The vision laboratory is interested in understanding how the images of the visual world are converted in neural information and how this information is represented in the brain. We have previously shown that inhibitory synaptic activity in specific retinal circuits play an important role in lateral inhibition, a physiological phenomenon that is involved in contrast discrimination and adaptation to different light levels.
We are also interested in the cellular mechanisms responsible for the adaptive changes that take place when the visual system is exposed to large changes in contrast. The retina is able to change its activity in response to both short-term and long term changes in contrast and several different mechanisms have been proposed. In this project, you will examine the neural mechanisms underlying the generation of contrast adaptation in retinal ganglion cells.
Other research lines of the laboratory seek to understand plasticity mechanisms in the nervous system and the role that neurotransmitters and receptors play in their generation. In this project, you will study the role of specific neurotransmitter systems in the modulation of synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the visual system.
The experiments involve the use of variety of state-of-the-art techniques such as patch-clamp recordings in combination with stimulation with different light patterns in whole mount retina and retinal slices. In addition, cell responses are correlated with morphology after staining and morphological reconstruction.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 720