what we do
The goal of our lab’s research is to understand the mechanisms of developmental plasticity—the ability of the human brain to adapt to an ever-changing environment.
Plasticity exemplifies our brain’s remarkable capacity to reorganize and respond to novel stimuli. It is the mechanism that enables us to continually learn, grow, and recover, contributing to our ability to navigate the complexities of life.
Our research focuses on examining how altered developmental experiences in diverse human populations, including those who become blind early in life, influence the structure and function of the brain, and how these changes shape their perception in turn.
We rely on a multimodal approach to study these questions, spanning visual psychophysics, psychoacoustics, computational modeling, and neuroimaging (functional and diffusion MRI, MR spectroscopy, and myeloarchitecture mapping).
We hope that our findings will advance our understanding of learning, recovery from brain injuries, and treatments for neurological conditions, shedding light on how we can foster cortical resilience across the lifespan.
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why study blindness
Blindness can result from various causes, including congenital factors, diseases, or eye/brain injuries. Being blind entails a profound alteration in one’s sensory experiences. This not only affects one’s daily life but also triggers a remarkable reconfiguration of the brain’s neural networks.
Blindness provides intriguing and invaluable insights into brain plasticity. It reveals how the brain copes with sensory deprivation and adapts to enhance other sensory modalities. This remarkable reorganization underscores the broader, fundamental, principles of neuroplasticity that define our capacity for learning and make us human.
specific research questions
1. Constraints of cross-modal plasticity following early blindness
Following sight loss early in life, the brain areas primarily responsive to visual input are reorganized to respond to other sensory modalities, such as audition and touch. This phenomenon is called cross-modal plasticity.
We study the constraints that guide this process. The questions we ask include:
- How does anatomical connectivity shape and predict cross-modal responses?
- Can altered experience affect the known computations within an area?
- What are the perceptual consequences?
2. Experience-dependent plasticity in auditory processing
Individuals who become blind early in life rely heavily on auditory input to interact with the world. This shift in sensory experience alters information processing not just in the deprived visual cortex but also in auditory areas.
We examine how changes in experience affect auditory processing:
- Can experience change the structure of the auditory cortex?
- How is the functional tuning of auditory processing refined by experience?
- What microstructural mechanisms drive the plasticity?
The questions we ask are also highly relevant to experience-dependent plasticity in typical development, where the auditory experience varies across individuals due to many factors (e.g., music training).
methods we use
Visual psychophysics and psychoacoustic methods: We explore the relationship between physical visual/auditory stimuli and our perception of them. We quantify how humans perceive various sensory inputs and make behavioral responses.
Computational modeling: We use simple and intuitive mathematical and computer-based simulations to explain complex perceptual, cognitive, and neural phenomena. It helps us gain insights and make testable predictions on how the brain works.
Neuroimaging: MRI is a non-invasive technique that utilizes powerful magnets and radio waves to generate detailed images of the brain. Various MRI methods provide information about brain anatomy, activity, and connectivity, making them crucial for studying our questions.