Priors and Inference in Superior colliculus during Movement

Descrizione del progetto

Anticipare il futuro per guidare il movimento

Gli animali non si limitano a reagire all’ambiente circostante, ma cercano costantemente di prevedere cosa accadrà in seguito, avvalendosi delle esperienze passate per prendere decisioni rapide e flessibili. Comprendere in che modo il cervello formuli e aggiorni tali previsioni nel corso dei comportamenti naturali rimane una sfida fondamentale nel campo delle neuroscienze. Con il sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto PRISM svilupperà un nuovo compito comportamentale in cui i topi inseguono un bersaglio in movimento regolato da regole probabilistiche, consentendo uno studio rigoroso delle aspettative e delle previsioni. Avvalendosi di tecniche di elettrofisiologia ad alta densità e di strumenti optogenetici su animali in libertà di movimento, i ricercatori studieranno in che modo il collicolo superiore (un polo nevralgico del mesencefalo fondamentale per l’integrazione sensomotoria) rappresenti e aggiorni le previsioni interne. Questo studio getterà nuova luce sulle basi neurali del processo decisionale adattivo.

Obiettivo

To survive, animals must do more than react to immediate sensory input; they must predict what is likely to happen next. This ability to integrate past experience with current information is essential for fast and adaptive decision-making. Yet how the brain forms, updates, and uses such expectations during natural behavior remains poorly understood, particularly in naturalistic settings where sensory cues are ambiguous, and decisions must be made rapidly and flexibly.
In this project, I will develop a novel behavioral task in which mice pursue a physical target moving according to probabilistic rules, bridging the gap between classical conditioning paradigms and naturalistic goal-directed behavior. By changing these rules, I will examine how mice form internal models of their environment and adapt to new patterns. I will test whether animals show predictive behaviours that reflect prior expectations, especially when sensory input becomes uncertain. Their behaviour will be interpreted within a Bayesian inference framework, allowing rigorous comparison to an ideal observer model.
At the neural level, I will focus on the superior colliculus, a midbrain hub involved in integrating sensory information to guide movement. Using high-density electrophysiology in freely moving animals, I will investigate how prior expectations are represented and updated in real time. I will complement this with targeted manipulations of inputs to the superior colliculus using optogenetic and chemogenetic tools to test how these circuits contribute to forming and updating internal models.
While I already have strong expertise in behavioural tracking and neuronal recordings, this project will provide me with essential training in Bayesian modelling and causal circuit perturbation, key tools for next-generation systems neuroscience. Hosted at a world-renowned institute, this fellowship will deepen my interdisciplinary skillset and support my transition toward an independent research career.