Towards a cellular-resolution understanding of visual system form and function
Dr. Estuardo Robles
The focus of my research is to understand how neuronal diversity in the visual system reflects computational strategies used to process behaviorally-relevant sensory information. Using single-cell genetic labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the neurons which transmit information from the retina to the brain, I have recently generated the first cellular-resolution map of retinal projections to the brain of any vertebrate. These data revealed an unexpected diversity of RGC sub- types. Future studies will employ cell type-specific expression strategies and functional brain imaging to identify neural circuits in the brain that process these parallel information channels generated by the retina.
