University of Oregon · NeuroscienceSensory Integration Lab
Cristopher M Niell · Eugene, Oregon
Research Focus
Dr. Cristopher Niell's lab at the University of Oregon studies how different parts of the brain work together to process sensory information from our environment. By focusing on how mice capture prey, the lab explores how the brain integrates visual and auditory cues to guide behavior. This research helps us understand the underlying mechanisms of sensory processing and could inform potential treatments for sensory impairments like deafness and blindness.
sensory processingcortical and subcortical interactionprey captureauditory processingvisual processing
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how the cortex and superior colliculus contribute to sensory processing.
AIM 02Determine the role of primary sensory cortex in processing complex stimuli.
AIM 03Analyze information encoded in neural circuits of cortex and superior colliculus during behavior.
AIM 04Examine how cortico-collicular projections affect sensory coding.
AIM 05Explore shared principles in auditory and visual processing.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologyextracellular recordingsbehavioral assaysmouse modelsdata analysis programming
Output against the department
Publications88bottom 28% of dept.484th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.7ktop 48% of dept.325th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.