Welcome to the Ruediger Lab
Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London

The brain’s capacity to make and break habits affects every domain of our daily life and depends on the ability to detect and learn to respond appropriately to sensory cues. How neuronal circuits regulate this process is a major open question in neuroscience. In mammals, cortical and subcortical sensory circuits are involved, but their relative contributions to the making and breaking of habits remain elusive.

 

The Ruediger lab studies how cortical and subcortical visual circuits function together as a network to shape learned behavioural strategies. Our current research focuses on understanding how the visual cortex communicates with evolutionarily conserved subcortical circuits, including the superior colliculus and basal ganglia, during visually guided behaviour. Another key aspect of our work is understanding how neuromodulatory systems regulate these circuits according to changes in behavioural state. In particular, we study noradrenaline to uncover how arousal and sensory processing are linked, and how changes in brain state influence the way visual information is represented and used to guide behaviour.

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Our research aims to shed light on fundamental processes underlying normal brain function while also contributing to our understanding of the basic principles behind sensory and behavioural symptoms in brain disorders.

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Stay tuned as we investigate the neuronal underpinnings of sensory-based actions.

 

 

Our research is supported by:

 

 

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