PRESENTATION

The brain is not merely a machine that optimises responses to external stimuli. A remarkable feature of the mammalian brain is its ability to evaluate and compare the potential outcomes of competing behavioural choices without executing them. This ability to make the best choice is likely central to the evolutionary success of mammals, but its neural basis remains poorly understood.

The Ito laboratory aims to uncover the circuit mechanisms underlying the brain’s inner reasoning ability. Hiroshi and his team use spatial navigation in rodents as a model to investigate how animals plan and choose optimal paths to a goal beyond the range of sensory perception. To decipher neural codes involved, the lab uses a range of cutting-edge technologies, including large-scale recording, imaging, and optogenetic manipulation in behaving animals, as well as computational modelling and analysis.