We combine (and create) behavioral, computational, electrophysiological, and imaging approaches to reveal how the nervous system uses sensory signals to reshape the patterns of brain and muscle activity that control skilled behavior.
Projects
Spiking Codes for Skilled Motor Control
By analyzing single-unit recordings from neurons and muscle fibers during complex behaviors in songbirds (and, more recently, rodents), we examine how the brain regulates precisely-timed spike patterns to control agile behavior.
Key Papers
Sober SJ, Sponberg S, Nemenman I, Ting LH. Trends in Neuroscience Oct;41(10):644-648 (2018) [PDF]
Srivastava K, Holmes CM, Vellema M, Pack A, Elemans C, Nemenman I, Sober SJ. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114(5):1171-1176 (2017) [PDF]
Advanced Technology for Motor Neurophysiology
By developing advanced nanofabrication tools for manufacturing ultra-dense, ultra-flexible electrode arrays, we are creating a new class of electromyography (EMG) electrodes capable of recording large populations of single-unit recordings from muscle fibers during behavior.
Key Papers
Chung B, Zia M, Thomas KA, Michaels JA, Jacob A, Pack A, Williams MJ, Nagapudi K, Teng LH, Arrambide E, Ouellette L, Oey N, Gibbs R, Anschutz P, Lu J, Wu Y, Kashefi M, Oya T, Kersten R, Mosberger AC, O'Connell S, Wang R, Marques H, Mendes AR, Lenschow C, Kondakath G, Kim JJ, Olson W, Quinn KN, Perkins P, Gatto G, Thanawalla A, Coltman S, Kim T, Smith T, Binder-Markey B, Zaback M, Thompson CK, Giszter S, Person A, Goulding M, Azim E, Thakor N, O'Connor D, Trimmer B, Lima SQ, Carey MR, Pandarinath. ELife 12:RP88551 (2023) [PDF] [DOI]
Commentary
Accessing populations of motor unitsKirk EA, Sauerbrei BA. eLife 2024;13:e94764. (2024) [PDF] [DOI]
Zia M, Chung B, Sober SJ, Bakir M. Proceedings IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting San Francisco, CA (2018) [PDF]
Srivastava K, Holmes CM, Vellema M, Pack A, Elemans C, Nemenman I, Sober SJ. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114(5):1171-1176 (2017) [PDF]
Neuroanatomical and Neuromodulatory Mechanisms of Motor Plasticity
By combining advanced neuroanatomical methods with behavioral and pharmacological manipulations, we investigate the neural mechanisms of learning.
Key Papers
Hoffmann LA, Sober SJ. J. Neuroscience 16;34(16):5564-74 (2014) [PDF]
Variability, Bayesian Inference, and Sensorimotor Learning
By combining long-term manipulations of auditory feedback with mathematical models of sensorimotor learning, we reveal the computational principles underlying vocal learning.
Key Papers
Zhou B, Hofmann D, Pinkoviezky I, Sober SJ, Nemenman I. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115(36):E8538-E8546 (2018) [PDF]
Support
Our research projects are generously supported by the following federal and private funding agencies:
Trainees in the lab have been well supported by both internal and external funding sources: