Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes

The functioning of neural circuits involves millions of neurons with the ability to combine and coordinate in myriad ways to form ensembles. Human connectome research, in which Hopkins plays a major role, is expected to map these complex interactions


Early studies in brain science, including breakthroughs from pioneering Johns Hopkins researcher and professor Dr. Vernon Mountcastle, were designed to disentangle the network complexity of the brain by exploiting the relative accessibility of sensory receptive fields. Pioneering work at Hopkins on these sensory fields would reveal network principles such as the columnar organization of the cerebral cortex.

More recently, the advent of modern molecular, viral, and optogenetic approaches has allowed neuroscientists to discover new principles of ensemble organization. Experimental tools used widely in the department include in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology; calcium imaging; anatomical mapping; molecular targeting of synapses and circuits with viral and optogenetic strategies; as well as behavioral analysis to determine the functional properties of identified circuits. These tools are being used to dissect neural circuits controlling reward and motivation, social interactions, complex movements, and cognition, as well as sensory perception.

 

  • Yeka Aponte, PhD Position: Adjunct Associate Professor Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Frederick S. Barrett, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences; Director, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research; Oliver Lee McCabe III, PhD Professor in the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Amy Bastian, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Seth Blackshaw, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Mary Blue, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neurology Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Solange Brown, MD, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Adam Charles, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Jeremiah Cohen, PhD Position: Adjunct Associate Professor of Neuroscience; Principal Scientist, Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • Ed Connor, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Kathleen E. Cullen, PhD Position: The Raj and Neera Singh Professor of Biomedical Engineering Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • John Desmond, PhD Position: Professor of Neurology Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Gul Dolen, MD, PhD Position: Adjunct Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Wendy Klag Center Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Christopher Fetsch, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Michela Gallagher, PhD Position: Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Andrew Gordus, PHD Position: Assistant Professor of Biology Areas of research: Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Patricia Janak, PhD Position: Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Patrick Kanold, PhD Position: Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Tomomi Karigo, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Developmental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Justus Kebschull, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • Amir Kheradmand, MD Position: Associate Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, and Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR); Director of Research, Neuro-Visual & Vestibular Division Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Alfredo Kirkwood, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • James Knierim, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Alex Kolodkin, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • John Krakauer, MA, MD Position: John C. Malone Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Kishore Kuchibhotla, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Hyungbae Kwon, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neuroscience; Director of Admissions Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Amanda Lauer, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Hey-Kyoung Lee, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • Daeyeol Lee, PhD Position: Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Da-Ting Lin, PhD Position: Adjunct Assistant Professor Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • David Linden, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Brady Maher, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences Areas of research: Developmental Neuroscience, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Keri Martinowich, PhD Position: Senior Investigator and Director, Translational Neuroscience, Lieber Institute for Brain Development; Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Kristen Maynard, PhD Position: Investigator, Lieber Institute for Brain Development; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience Areas of research: Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Conor McMeniman, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Areas of research: Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Cynthia Moss, PhD Position: Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Ulrich Mueller, PhD Position: Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Biology Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Developmental Neuroscience, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Jeff Mumm, PhD Position: Helen Larson & Charles Glenn Grover Associate Professor in Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute Associate Professor in Ophthalmology Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Developmental Neuroscience, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Shreesh Mysore, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience
  • Ernst Niebur, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Kristina Nielsen, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Daniel O'Connor, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Co-Director of the Neuroscience Training Program Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • Maya Opendak, PhD Position: Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease, Developmental Neuroscience
  • Christopher Potter, PhD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Co-Director of the Neuroscience Training Program Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience
  • Geoffrey Schoenbaum, MD, PhD Position: Adjunct Professor Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Reza Shadmehr, PhD Position: Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Marshall Hussain Shuler, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Veit Stuphorn, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Joshua Vogelstein, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Paul Worley, MD Position: Professor of Neuroscience Areas of research: Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
  • Mark Wu, MD, PhD Position: Professor of Neurology Areas of research: Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Cellular + Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease
  • David Zee, MD Position: Professor of Neurology Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes, Neurobiology of Disease
  • Kechen Zhang, PhD Position: Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Areas of research: Systems, Cognitive + Computational Neuroscience, Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes
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