Head: Felix Franke

We work to expand our understanding of retinal organization into a new context: the transformation of the visual input and resulting retinal computation into eye movement, a behavioral control signal.

When light falls in the mammalian eye, the incoming photons are sensed by photoreceptors in the outer retina and transduced into electric activity of neurons. Neurons process the electrically encoded information and pass it on to neurons in the inner retina, subcortical brain regions and, finally, to the cortex. Each of these steps adds a layer of complexity to the resulting computation. Ultimately, the light-induced activity reaches muscles and causes behavior.

The circuit in the retina that computes direction selectivity is one of the best-studied neural circuits in the mammalian brain. To gain a better understanding of how the brain uses the acquired information to control behavior, we focus on visual behaviors for eye movement control. Our group studies the oculomotor feedback loop and the optokinetic reflex, to

• enhance our understanding of computations within the retina,
• bridge the gap to the subcortical projection targets one synapse further downstream, and
• put the computations in a behavioral context.

Group Leader: Felix Franke

Team members