University of California-Davis · NeuroscienceUsrey Visual Lab
W Martin Usrey · Davis, California
Research Focus
Dr. W Martin Usrey's lab at UC Davis focuses on understanding how different parts of the brain communicate during visual processing. By investigating the pulvinar, a key thalamic structure, the lab explores how visual signals are transmitted between cortical areas in both mice and monkeys. This research aims to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of brain function and how disruptions in communication might affect conditions like epilepsy and vision disorders.
thalamusvisual processingvisual cortexpulvinaroptogenetics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of the pulvinar in visual communication.
AIM 02Differentiate between direct and transthalamic pathways in the visual system.
AIM 03Examine the impact of inhibiting these pathways on visual task performance.
AIM 04Compare visual processing mechanisms in mice and monkeys.
AIM 05Explore implications for understanding disorders like epilepsy.
Skills the Lab Values
optogeneticsmouse modelsmonkey modelsbehavioral testingneuron recordingdata analysisimmunohistochemistryelectrophysiologyanatomical tracing
Output against the department
Publications122bottom 43% of dept.384th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations8.7ktop 44% of dept.297th 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.