The Brain is one of the most extraordinary biological computational machines imaginable. This Introsem will explore its inner workings viewed through the lens of the mammalian visual system, one of the most studied and well understood systems in the brain crucial for guiding perception and behavior. Topics to be covered include how rods and cones in the retina generate a neural signal, the connections and computations between eye, primary visual cortex and higher order visual areas that function in pattern vision, motion detection, color vision and even perception of faces. The challenges of studying and understanding such a complex system will also be considered in the context of learning about methods for studying the functioning of hundreds of neurons in brain circuits simultaneously. An additional topic to be explored is how this extraordinary computational machine is assembled during neural development and then remodeled by visual experience during critical periods of development: the nature-nurture question. Finally, we will consider how this detailed knowledge may be used for treating blindness and other visual disorders. The course will involve critical readings from relevant background material and original research articles as well as discussions and student presentations, augmented occasionally with guest lecturers and lab visits. A goal of the seminar is to convey the beauty and elegance of the visual system, as well as to introduce fundamentals of organization and function that can be generalized to other brain regions.
3 units · Satisfactory/No Credit
The Brain is one of the most extraordinary biological computational machines imaginable. This Introsem will explore its inner workings viewed through the lens of the mammalian visual system, one of the most studied and well understood systems in the brain crucial for guiding perception and behavior. Topics to be covered include how rods and cones in the retina generate a neural signal, the connections and computations between eye, primary visual cortex and higher order visual areas that function in pattern vision, motion detection, color vision and even perception of faces. The challenges of studying and understanding such a complex system will also be considered in the context of learning about methods for studying the functioning of hundreds of neurons in brain circuits simultaneously. An additional topic to be explored is how this extraordinary computational machine is assembled during neural development and then remodeled by visual experience during critical periods of development: the nature-nurture question. Finally, we will consider how this detailed knowledge may be used for treating blindness and other visual disorders. The course will involve critical readings from relevant background material and original research articles as well as discussions and student presentations, augmented occasionally with guest lecturers and lab visits. A goal of the seminar is to convey the beauty and elegance of the visual system, as well as to introduce fundamentals of organization and function that can be generalized to other brain regions.
Offered in Spring 2027 at Stanford University.