Dr. Christopher Pack studies the visual cortex, trying to find out how neurons communicate information about the visual world. Using electrophysiological techniques, his laboratory records the activity of individual neurons as they process information about the visual world and relay it to their neighbours. These conversations are a type of code, in effect the software that makes the brain’s hardware capable of vision. One of the goals of this research is to develop a quantitative understanding of this neural code, by combining neurophysiological data with mathematical modeling. These models are then combined with data on perception and behaviour to infer the link between neural activity and conscious experience. In particular, the laboratory is interested in eye movement behaviour, with a focus on the smooth pursuit eye movements that allow animals to track moving objects. Future work will combine these electrophysiological, mathematical, and behavioural approaches with reversible inactivation techniques, with the goal of understanding the interactions among the various cortical regions that underlie vision.

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E-mail: Christopher Pack
Web Site: Pack Lab