The superior colliculus (SC), or optic tectum, is an evolutionarily conserved structure that receives direct retinal input in all vertebrates. It was the most sophisticated visual center until the neocortex evolved in mammals. In mice, a mammalian species that has become a useful model in vision research, 85–90% of retinal ganglion cells project to the SC, making it the most prominent visual structure in this species. In the past several years, we have performed a series of functional studies of the mouse SC, especially the aspect of motion processing. In these studies, we have (1) revealed diverse visual response properties in the mouse SC (Wang, Sarnaik et al., J. Neuroscience, 2010; Zhao, Liu and Cang, Neuron, 2014; Savier et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2021); (2) discovered a highly specialized lamina in the most superficial SC for movement direction (Inayat, Barchini et al., J. Neuroscience, 2015); (3) demonstrated a retinal origin ofSC direction selectivity (Shi, Barchini et al., Nature Neuroscience, 2017); and (4) studied how SC neurons encode motion contrast (Barchini et al., 2018). In this presentation, I will briefly review these published findings and describe our recent efforts in linking visual response properties to genetically identified cell types in the SC.

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In-Person Location:
Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB)
S. Circle View Dr, Irvine
Conference Room 5020