Functions and dysfunctions of the thalamocortical circuit, by François David

Summary: Functions and dysfunctions of the thalamocortical circuit

The thalamocortical network is at the crossroad between two worlds by processing external sensory information while integrating inputs from the rest of the brain. The dynamics that controls the interactions between the thalamic and cortical networks is the source of an extraordinary richness of possible activities depending on the vigilance state and on the engagement of the network in a behavioural task. I characterized some rules that control those network dynamics by combining multiple complementary approaches- modelling cellular and network dynamics, recording neuronal ensembles and membrane potential and assessing the animal behavior. This led me to some significant conclusions on the contribution of the thalamus to the sleep slow waves and the spike-and-wave discharges of absence epilepsy. I will present those results while emphasizing the importance of the combination of several methods.

Short Biography

I have a master degree and a PhD in Cognitive Science with a specialty in neuroscience. Then I have two main post-doctoral experiences, one from Cardiff University in Wales in the laboratory of Vincenzo Crunelli and another from the Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon in the group of Luc Gentet. I am currently at the INCC working in the group of Carole Levenes and David Hansel. All along my researches, I spent a lot of my energy to understand perception and brain oscillations from biophysics, behavior and brain modeling.

To join the Zoom meeting:

https://u-paris.zoom.us/j/85253055997?pwd=U2tnMnhQSGk0YXFldnpMNVJweXpzdz09

ID of the meeting : 852 5305 5997

Code : 247026