Wilhelmina Robertson Professor & Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine Professor - Department of Psychology and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1991 Baylor College of Medicine, Room T504C Houston TX, 77030 Telephone: 713-798-1468 - Fax: 713-798-1476 Email: neuroscichair@cns.bcm.edu

The main research goal of our laboratory is to understand the mechanisms underlying multisensory integration for sensory processing and spatial navigation. Specifically we study the processing of visual and vestibular spatiotemporal information, and how such information is used to generate neural representations of space as a function of time. We seek to understand how multisensory information is processed, integrated and transformed into either commands for movement or perceptual decisions, as well as how it interacts with navigation and spatial memory systems in the macaque limbic system.

To approach these questions, work in our laboratory is directed along four main lines of research: (1) Studies in both monkey and human psychophysics, including subjects with autism spectrum disorders and other sensori-cognitive deficits; (2) Characterization and manipulation of population responses in areas of the macaque cortex, thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum; (3) Development and testing computational theories of how vestibular and visual signals are processed and integrated; (4) Finally, knowledge acquired from these studies is next used in rodent models of disease, such that our work bridges the gap between perception, behavior, neurophysiology, population decoding and genetics.

Because multisensory processing is critical to so much of natural behavior and cognition, the understanding we seek will fundamentally influence the way we think about how the brain processes complex sensory information that can often be conflicting. For example, by systematically studying neural components in the hierarchy of the vestibular system (all the way from primary sensory afferents to multiple cortical areas), our approach is vital for understanding the circuits and computational principles that underlie behavior. Our goal is to use this knowledge to understand computational principles of disease, to inspire artificial systems, to aid the development of prosthetics and other tools for understanding and treating deficits of spatial orientation, to provide guidance to molecular approaches to repair lost brain function, and to obtain deep insight into how the brain represents multisensory information in a way that is highly suited for cognition and action.

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Fetsch C.R., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2012) From neurons to behavior in multisensory perception: linking theoretical and empirical approaches, Nature Reviews Neuroscience (in press).

Green A.M. and Angelaki D.E. (2010) Multimodal integration: Resolving sensory ambiguities and building novel representations, Current Opinion in Neurobiology 20(3):353-60.

Angelaki D.E., Klier E.M. and Snyder L.H . (2009) A vestibular sensation: probabilistic approaches to spatial perception, Neuron 64(4):448-61.

Angelaki D.E., Gu, Y., and DeAngelis G.C. (2009) Multisensory integration: Psychophysics, neurophysiology and computational neuroscience, Current Opinion in Neurobiology 19(4):452-8.

Angelaki D.E. and Cullen K.E. (2008) Vestibular system: The many facets of a multimodal sense, Annual Reviews Neuroscience 31:125-50.

Angelaki D.E. and Hess B.J.M. (2005) Self-motion induced eye movements: Effects on visual acuity and navigation, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6(12):966-76.

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Fetsch C.R., Pouget A., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2011) A neural correlate of dynamic cue reweighting during multisensory integration, Nature Neuroscience 15(1):146-54.

Gu, Y., Yang Y., Liu S., Fetsch C.R., Fok S., Sunkara A., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2011) Perceptual learning reduces interneuronal correlations in macaque visual cortex, Neuron 71(4):750-61.

Gu, Y., Fetsch C.R., Adeyemo B., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2010) Decoding of MSTd population activity accounts for variation in the precision of heading perception, Neuron 66(4):596-609.

Morgan, M., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2008) Multisensory integration in macaque visual cortex depends on cue reliability, Neuron 59(4):662-73.

Gu, Y., Angelaki D.E. and DeAngelis G.C. (2008) Neural correlates of multi-sensory cue integration in macaque area MSTd, Nature Neuroscience 11(10):1201-10.

Nadler, J., Angelaki D.E. and DeAngelis G.C. (2008) A neural representation of depth from motion parallax in macaque visual cortex, Nature 452(7187):642-5.

Gu, Y., DeAngelis G.C. and Angelaki D.E. (2007) A functional link between area MSTd and heading perception based on vestibular signals, Nature Neuroscience 10(8):1038-47.

Angelaki D.E. , Shaikh A.G. , Green A.M. and Dickman, J.D. (2004) Neurons compute internal models of the physical laws of motion, Nature 29;430(6999):560-564. 

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Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Editorial Board, J. Neurophysiology

Reviewing Editor, J. Neurophysiology (2002-2008)

Selected “Faculty for 1000”

Society for Neuroscience Program Committee (2003-2009)

Chair, Society for Neuroscience Program Committee (2007-2008)

Halpike-Nylen medal, Barany Society (2006)

Society for Neuroscience Publications Committee (2006-2009)

Human Frontiers Science Program, Selection Committee

Editorial Board, Journal of Neuroscience

Reviewing Editor, Journal of Neuroscience

Editorial Committee, Annual Review of Neuroscience

NIH Pioneer Award Selection Committee

Grass Lecturer, Society for Neuroscience

Sloan Foundation, Selection Committee

International Advisory Board, Donders Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, NETHERLANDS

International Advisory Board, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tuebingen, GERMANY

Editorial Board, Exp Brain Research

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• Adhira Sunkara (Biomedical Engineering, Washington University)

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