SURF Mentoring

Potential projects/topics: "At the Xie and Luan laboratories we use nanoelectrical threads (called NETs) to study brain functions and understand their underlying mechanisms. Using these electrodes, our scientists have been able to record activity from hundreds of single neurons over several months and thus better understand various neural mechanisms. One of the many applications with this state-of-the-art technology is the study of learning processes and memory formation. This is with this specific application in mind that we are excited to offer an internship for first-year undergraduates during the summer of 2023. It is widely believed in neuroscience that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory formation and navigation, however it is still unclear how it interacts with other brain to achieve these functions, and there has been a huge effort carried out in the field in the recent years to better understand these processes. At the Xie and Lan laboratories, we are currently focusing on the relationship between the hippocampus and wide-field cortical activity. To study this interaction, we record electrical activity from the hippocampus using NETs and correlate it with cortical activity using wide-field Calcium imaging during behavioral experiments.

Potential skills gained: The student will gain skills and knowledge in Neuroscience, Applied Sciences, Instrumentation, Signal Processing, Data Analysis and/or Machine learning.

Required qualifications: Preferably the student should be an ECE or related fields major, have interest for Neuroscience, Applied Sciences, Instrumentation, Signal Processing, Data Analysis and/or Machine learning. A basic knowledge of Matlab and/or Python is preferred.

Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I., Graduate Student