Research statement
Unlike in simpler organisms, like C. Elegans, in mammals the conversion from sensory input to motor output follows a complex and flexible path, shaped by a multitude of interacting cognitive processes. My research centers around the notion that most neuronal and even behavioural responses are in fact not directly linked to external events, but internally generated and referenced. I study such internally driven dynamics – and their interactions with each other – in behaving mice, combining a range of techniques from acute and chronic electrophysiology to two-photon imaging, optogenetics and extensive data mining of neuronal and behavioural data. I also believe that cortical function is best understood in the context of naturalistic and/or easily trained behaviours – by letting the brain do what it does best.
Key publications
Havenith MN, Zijderveld PM, van Heukelum S, Abghari S, Glennon JC, Tiesinga P (2019). The Virtual-Environment-Foraging Task enables rapid training and single-trial metrics of rule acquisition and reversal in head-fixed mice. Nature Scientific Reports 9(1), 4790. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41250-w
Havenith MN*, Zijderveld PM*, van Heukelum S, Abghari S, Tiesinga P, Glennon JC (2018). The Virtual-Environment-Foraging Task enables rapid training and single-trial metrics of attention in head-fixed mice. Nature Scientific Reports 8(1), 17371. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-34966-8 (* contributed equally)
Havenith MN, Yu S, Biederlack J, Chen NH, Singer W, Nikolić D (2011). Synchrony makes neurons fire in sequence, and stimulus properties determine who is ahead. J Neurosci 31, 8570-85846. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.2817-10.2011
Declaration of interests
Martha Havenith is co-founder of 3Dneuro (unpaid).