Anthony Zador
Professor
M.D., Ph.D., Yale University, 1994
Cortical mechanisms of auditory attention; autism
email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone (516) 367-6950, fax (516) 367-8866
We use a variety of physiological, molecular and computational approaches to study how the auditory cortex processes sound, and how it allows us to focus on one sound whilst ignoring the rest (a.k.a. the cocktail party problem). The long-term goal of my laboratory is to
elucidate the cortical mechanisms underlying attention in the rodent
auditory cortex. Solving this problem may ultimately provide insight
into the "Big C" (consciousness).
| Research in the lab is organized around three main questions. | |
| • | What are the neural representations of sound in the auditory cortex, and how are these representations modulated by non-sensory input, such as attention and reward? |
| • | What are the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying these sensory representations and their non-sensory modulation? |
| • | How do these representations change in pathological conditions such as autism? |
We use a variety of techniques and preparations, including whole cell and cell-attached recording in the awake (head-fixed) rodent; tetrode recording for recording neural populations in the freely moving, behaving rat; molecular approaches to monitor and perturb neural activity; and computational approaches to analyze neural coding.
Please visit the Zador Lab home page.
Selected Publications
Jaramillo, S., and Zador, A.M. 2011. Auditory cortex mediates the perceptual effects of acoustic temporal expectation. Nat. Neurosci. 14: 246–251.
Otazu, G., Tai, L.H., Yang, Y., and Zador, A.M. 2009. Engaging in an auditory task suppresses responses in auditory cortex. Nat. Neurosci. 2: 646–654.
Yang, Y., DeWeese, M.R., Otazu, G., and Zador, A.M. 2008. Millisecond-scale differences in neural activity in auditory cortex can drive decisions. Nat. Neurosci. 11: 1262–1263.
Wehr, M., and Zador, A. 2005. Synaptic mechanisms of forward suppresion in rat auditory cortex. Neuron 47: 437–445.
Wehr, M., and Zador, A. 2003. "Balanced inhibition underlies tuning and sharpens spike timing in auditory cortex." Nature 426: 442–446.
