Circuit basis for flexible behavior

The brain has many neurons. The human brain has 100 billion of them. We want to know how this large ensemble of neurons works coherently to control an animal's behavior. We want to know how it might change when animals experience the environment, learn new skills and form new memories. We want to know how it might be compromised in diseased states. We are combining behavioral, genetic, imaging and electrophysiological techniques to tackle these questions.