Sensory perception is driven by sensory stimuli, but also by internal signals generated in the nervous system. Our main objective is to illuminate the neural mechanisms behind the generation of perception and how different signals contribute and are integrated.

A specific goal for the lab is to understand the cortical processing of pain. The experience of pain is complex with both a sensory and an emotional component and highly influenced by other factors such as attention. It is an open question how the internal dynamics of the brain are integrated with sensory signals to form pain percepts.

To this end, we explore neural processing in insular cortex and its integrative properties. Insular cortex is a highly multi-functional area involved in sensory processing and responsible for body state representations and the associated emotions. It is central for pain perception, as well as for conditions such as eating disorders, anxiety and depression. This makes insular cortex a key area for understanding integration of sensory and internal signals.

We use techniques such as electrophysiology, microscopy, optogenetics, behavioral testing and computational methods to understand neural processing in mice.