The goal of our research is to understand the brain mechanisms for object recognition and spatial vision in primates. How does the brain construct a geometrically accurate percept of 3D space and how does it recognize the myriad objects within it?
The primate visual system contains a large number of distinct areas specialized for different functions. We use fMRI in alert monkeys to identify the regions most activated by a specific visual function, and then we use electrophysiology, microstimulation, optogenetics, anatomical tracing, and mathematical modeling to understand the detailed processing occurring within these areas. FMRI gives a global perspective of activity across the entire brain, revealing all the activated areas, while targeted single-unit recordings allow one to understand the function of each area in terms of spiking patterns of single neurons.