Tools to decipher neuronal signaling and compoutation

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The objective of my NSERC program is to understand the biophysical determinants of neural signalling and computation. That is, to identify the substrates of cell to cell signalling and of signal integration that underlie information processing in neural circuits. In this context, my research has focused on 1) how the structural and functional organizations of synapses affects information transfer between cells and 2) how synaptic mechanisms interact with the intrinsic properties of nerve cells to shape information coding. To achieve this, I continuously seek to develop novel, enabling approaches and analytical tools. We develop: 1) signal analysis tools to resolve biophysical events at the limits of what our experimental tools allow us to address, 2) novel, high-resolution microscopy and nanotechnology tools to resolve structural determinants underlying synaptic arrangements, and 3) computer-based modeling to identify how synaptic mechanisms determine information coding by individual neurons and small neural circuits.