The sense of smell, or olfaction, is critical to several aspects of behavior and survival in mammals, including humans. The olfactory bulb, the first processing station of the brain’s olfactory system, is not only essential for olfactory perception and learning, but constitutes an exceptional model system for the study of neural circuits and computation, capable of encoding a highly complex sensory space within a compact and well-organized structure.

Our work seeks to advance understanding of neural coding within the mouse olfactory bulb and broader olfactory system to provide insight into both mammalian olfaction and fundamental principles of brain function. To achieve this, we use an array of techniques including acute brain slice electrophysiology, histology and immunostaining, functional imaging, genetic targeting, molecular perturbations, olfactory-guided behavioral assays, and simulations.

Our lab is in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University, on Mountaintop campus.