Sensory and cognitive behaviors are processed in specialized cortical areas, such as the visual, the somatosensory and prefrontal cortex. During development, molecular programs of neuron specification are modulated by experience. More specifically, sensory areas are shaped by sensory inputs during critical periods of high plasticity during development. Critical periods allow for the tuning of sensory circuits to the individual environment exposure. While association areas require similar wiring refinement, very little is known about non-sensory critical periods of development.
In the lab, we aim to characterize the mechanisms controlling critical periods of development underlying areal specific cortical functions.
