We study how local circuits in the cerebral cortex encode and transform sensory information. We use the rodent auditory cortex as a model system to investigate how cellular and network properties shape cortical responses to a continuous and temporally complex stream of sensory data.

Research in the Wehr Lab combines aspects of cellular, systems, and computational neuroscience, by using the tools of molecular biology and cellular physiology to address systems-level questions. Using a variety of electrophysiological approaches, in particular in vivo whole cell recording methods and optogenetics, we are trying to identify the cellular and synaptic mechanisms with which cortical circuits process auditory information, leading ultimately to our perceptual experiences of acoustic streams, such as music and speech.

We are currently searching for a theory postdoc! Contact Mike for details.

Institute of Neuroscience
Department of Psychology
Department of Biology
University of Oregon