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Posts classified under: NeuroTheory

Larry F. Hoffman, Ph.D.

Larry Hoffman, Ph.D.

Biography

Clinical Neurophysiology Research Interests: Vestibular Neuroscience Dr. Hoffman’s research is conducted under the auspice of the National Multipurpose Research and Training Center for vestibular neuroscience from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). It is devoted to improving the understanding of how information regarding head movements, resulting from transduction mechanisms of the vestibular receptors within the inner ear, is encoded, distributed, and utilized within the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, these investigations are focused upon the neurophysiologic and neuroanatomic organization of vestibular primary afferent neurons, the cells providing the communication between the peripheral vestibular receptors and the CNS. Considerable effort is also devoted to the pathophysiology of these neurons in models of nerve regeneration, ototoxicity, and regeneration of the sensory epithelium. Additionally, current research includes investigations of the anatomy and cell biology of efferent vestibular neurons (cells that provide communication from the CNS back to the peripheral vestibular receptors). Dr. Hoffman is very active in teaching and supervising projects of research trainees at various levels including undergraduate, graduate, medical, postdoctoral, and resident students. His administrative activities include the organization of the Division’s Basic Science curriculum, and assisting in the administration of the Division’s institutional training grant from the NIDCD.

Jonathan Kao

Jonathan Kao, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Jonathan Kao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in 2016 in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University working with Dr. Krishna Shenoy, where he developed algorithms for brain-machine interfaces. He continued his post-doctoral research in the same lab, using statistical and machine learning techniques to analyze the dynamics of neural populations. His lab is interested in computational techniques to elucidate computational mechanisms in neural populations as well as designing algorithms for neural prostheses.

Publications

A selected list of publications:

O’Shea Daniel J, Trautmann Eric, Chandrasekaran Chandramouli, Stavisky Sergey, Kao Jonathan C, Sahani Maneesh, Ryu Stephen, Deisseroth Karl, Shenoy Krishna V   The need for calcium imaging in nonhuman primates: New motor neuroscience and brain-machine interfaces Experimental neurology, 2016; .
Kao Jonathan C, Nuyujukian Paul, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   A high-performance neural prosthesis incorporating discrete state selection with hidden Markov models IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering, 2016; .
Kao Jonathan C, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   Leveraging historical knowledge of neural dynamics to rescue decoder performance as neural channels are lost: “Decoder hysteresis” Conference proceedings : … Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2015; 2015: 1061-6.
Kao Jonathan C, Nuyujukian Paul, Ryu Stephen I, Churchland Mark M, Cunningham John P, Shenoy Krishna V   Single-trial dynamics of motor cortex and their applications to brain-machine interfaces Nature communications, 2015; 6: 7759.
Stavisky Sergey D, Kao Jonathan C, Nuyujukian Paul, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   A high performing brain-machine interface driven by low-frequency local field potentials alone and together with spikes Journal of neural engineering, 2015; 12(3): 036009.
Even-Chen Nir, Stavisky Sergey D, Kao Jonathan C, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   Auto-deleting brain machine interface: Error detection using spiking neural activity in the motor cortex Conference proceedings : … Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2015; 2015(3): 71-5.
Nuyujukian Paul, Fan Joline M, Kao Jonathan C, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   A high-performance keyboard neural prosthesis enabled by task optimization IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering, 2015; 62(1): 21-9.
Nuyujukian Paul, Kao Jonathan C, Fan Joline M, Stavisky Sergey D, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   Performance sustaining intracortical neural prostheses Journal of neural engineering, 2014; 11(6): 066003.
Stavisky Sergey D, Kao Jonathan C, Nuyujukian Paul, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   Hybrid decoding of both spikes and low-frequency local field potentials for brain-machine interfaces Conference proceedings : … Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2014; 2014(1): 3041-4.
Fan Joline M, Nuyujukian Paul, Kao Jonathan C, Chestek Cynthia A, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   Intention estimation in brain-machine interfaces Journal of neural engineering, 2014; 11(1): 016004.
Kao Jonathan C, Nuyujukian Paul, Stavisky Sergey, Ryu Stephen I, Ganguli Surya, Shenoy Krishna V   Investigating the role of firing-rate normalization and dimensionality reduction in brain-machine interface robustness Conference proceedings : … Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2013; 2013(1): 293-8.
Gilja Vikash, Nuyujukian Paul, Chestek Cindy A, Cunningham John P, Yu Byron M, Fan Joline M, Churchland Mark M, Kaufman Matthew T, Kao Jonathan C, Ryu Stephen I, Shenoy Krishna V   A high-performance neural prosthesis enabled by control algorithm design Nature neuroscience, 2012; 15(12): 1752-7.
Sussillo David, Nuyujukian Paul, Fan Joline M, Kao Jonathan C, Stavisky Sergey D, Ryu Stephen, Shenoy Krishna   A recurrent neural network for closed-loop intracortical brain-machine interface decoders Journal of neural engineering, 2012; 9(2): 026027.
Felix E. Schweizer, Ph.D.

Felix Schweizer, Ph.D.

Faculty Member

Professor
Chair, Graduate Interdepartmental Program for Neuroscience
Department of Neurobiology
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles

Office
Center for Health Sciences 63-323
650 Charles E Young Dr S,
Los Angeles, CA 90095

 

Biography

Felix E. Schweizer was born in Basel, Switzerland and conducted his graduate research in the laboratory of Prof. Max M. Burger under the direction of Dr. Theo Schafer. He received his PhD degree in biochemistry summa cum laude from the University of Basel in 1989. From 1990 to 1994, he was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University in the laboratory of Prof. Richard W. Tsien. From 1994 to 1998, he was postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University in the laboratory of Professor George J. Augustine. Dr. Schweizer joined the Department of Neurobiology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 1998 as Assistant Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 2010. Dr. Schweizer’s research interests concern the molecular mechanisms by which neurons communicate, the regulation of communication by neurons and how alterations in neuronal communication might contribute to neuronal diseases. The Schweizer laboratory uses electrophysiological and optical tools to investigate the dynamic molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of neurotransmitter release. We are particularly interested in the role of protein ubiquitination in regulating neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. In collaboration with Dr. James Wohlschlegel, we used multiplexed SILAC and identified synaptic proteins that are dynamically regulated. More recently, in collaboration with Dr. David Krantz, we are using pesticides linked to neuro-degenerative disorders as unbiased tools identify novel pathways that might be involved in early signs of degeneration. In addition, we are characterizing transmission at the first synapse of the vestibular system, i.e. between utricular sensory hair cells and primary afferent neurons. In collaboration with Dr. Larry Hoffman we are finding that changing the gravitational load alters synaptic structures. We are now using serial EM and EM tomography in addition to physiology and cell biology to define in more detail the transfer function between head-movement input and afferent nerve-firing output.

Dario L. Ringach, Ph.D.

Dario Ringach, Ph.D.

Faculty Member

Professor
Department of Neurobiology
Department of Psychology
University of California, Los Angeles

 

73-235 CHS
630 Charles E Young Dr S,
Los Angeles, CA 90095

 

Biography

Our research focuses on visual perception and neurophysiology. In particular, we are interested in cortical dynamics, circuitry, function, and mathematical modeling of the visual system. The main methods in the laboratory include multi-electrode recordings from single neurons, as well as intrisic and voltage senstive dye imaging of visual cortex. We also have an interest in developing novel technologies to record and stimulate from large neuronal populations for use in prostheses.

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