Study of sensorimotor integration in the whisker system of freely moving animals

A fundamental question in sensory neuroscience is what information sensory neurons convey during natural behaviour ('sensory coding'). Neuroscience textbooks describe in detail how the cortex is parcelled up into 'sensory' and 'motor' regions. However, new studies, including our latest findings, have challenged this dogma by showing that the activity of neurons in areas of the cerebral cortex and thalamus classically considered to be purely sensory actually depend on an animal's motor state (eg running speed). This indicates a major gap in our grasp of brain mechanisms of perception and action. And also an exciting opportunity for new discoveries.