Prof. Dr. Ilan Lampl

The general aim of my research is aimed in revealing the mechanisms of spontaneous and evoked neuronal activities in cortical and subcortical networks of sensory systems. Using the vibrissa system of rodents, I investigate the way the rodent’s brain processes signals perceived by the whiskers, which serve as one of these animals’ primary means for gathering information about their environment. Using various techniques, including the in-vivo intracellular recordings, we studied the functional organization of this system. Several major projects in my lab focus on sensory adaptation, a process by which the response of the brain’s neurons to sensory stimuli is increased or decreased depending on the background level of stimulation. In this studies and others we also investigate how the balance between excitation and inhibition is affected by sensory stimulation and by shifts in brain activity, such as between awake and sleep states.