Auditory Processing Lab

We study neural circuit mechanisms underlying fundamental aspects of auditory perception. Our research aims to:

1) reveal neural mechanisms for integrating auditory and movement signals

One of the current goals of the lab is to elucidate neural mechanisms that enable integration of auditory and movement-related signals by central auditory neurons. During natural hearing, subjects are often engaged in various kinds of movement. However, how auditory neurons process and integrate the movement-related signals remain poorly understood. Recent findings from a number of laboratories indicate neurons at multiple levels of the auditory pathway are strongly influenced by ongoing movement. We are investigating how auditory neurons in the inferior colliculus, a crucial midbrain integration center, process sound and motion simultaneously. To understand neural circuit mechanisms, we combine in vivo electrophysiological recordings in behaving mice, combined with optogenetic and behavioral techniques.

2) understand brain plasticity in hearing loss

Hearing loss is a wide-spread health problem that negatively impact the quality of life. When hearing loss occurs in the ear, the brain changes in profound ways to adapt. This plasticity make neural prosthetics such as cochlear implants work, but it also can be maladaptive, leading to devastating conditions such as tinnitus - a phantom perception of sounds. We try to understand the scope and nature of this plasticity using behavioral and neurophysiological techniques. We also use high resolution animal fMRI to scan the global changes in the brain.