Obiettivo Our social interactions and survival critically depend on identifying specific individuals to interact with or avoid (“who is that?”). Identifying individuals can be achieved by different sensory inputs, and by many accounts any sensory input elicits a representation of an individual that somehow becomes transmodal or independent of any sensory system. However, how the brain achieves transmodal integration facilitating individual recognition remains a mystery: Investigations in humans allowing direct access to site-specific neuronal processes are generally rare and have not focused on understanding neuronal multisensory integration for person recognition. Also, animal models to study the neuronal mechanisms of related processes have only recently become known. I propose to use direct recordings of neuronal activity in both humans and monkeys during face- and voice-identification tasks, combined with site-specific manipulation of the sensory input streams into the lateral anterior temporal lobe (ATL). The ATL brings together identity-specific content from the senses but the neuronal mechanisms for this convergence are entirely unknown. My core hypothesis is that auditory voice- or visual face-identity input into key ATL convergence sites elicits a sensory-modality invariant representation, which once elicited is robust to degradation or inactivation of neuronal input from the other sense. The central aim is to test this in human patients being monitored for surgery and to directly compare and link the results with those in monkeys where the neuronal circuit and mechanisms can be revealed using optogenetic control of neuronal responses. Analyses will assess neuronal dynamics and sensory integration frameworks. This proposal is poised to unravel how the brain combines multisensory input critical for identifying individuals and cognitive operations to act upon. The basic science insights gained may inform efforts to stratify patients with different types of ATL damage. Campo scientifico medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgerynatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputational intelligence Programma(i) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Argomento(i) ERC-2016-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Invito a presentare proposte ERC-2016-COG Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Istituzione ospitante UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 995 677,00 Indirizzo KINGS GATE NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne Regno Unito Mostra sulla mappa Regione North East (England) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Tyneside Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 995 677,00 Beneficiari (1) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo netto dell'UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Regno Unito Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 995 677,00 Indirizzo KINGS GATE NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne Mostra sulla mappa Regione North East (England) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Tyneside Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 995 677,00