Laura Burnett
‘Exploring state-dependent modulation of visual processing in the mouse superior colliculus.’
I am a PhD student in the Jösch group investigating how a region of the brain called the Superior Colliculus processes visual information and how it then uses this information to drive behaviours such as the avoidance of predators and the capture of prey. I am predominantly using mini-endoscopes to image the activity of the cells in this region in response to visual stimuli and whilst the animal can move freely. Although my ultimate goal is to understand more about how visual processing can be modulated by global physiological changes in the body, such as hunger, I am currently conducting preliminary studies to assess how the activity in this region is linked to behaviour in general such as locomotion and limb movements.