Time: 4:00pm
Location: 46-3002, Singleton Auditorium (Third floor of MIT Building 46)

Talk Title: Neural mechanisms of volitional movement

Abstract: Our goal is to understand how neural circuits in the brain give rise to volitional movement. A planning phase precedes all volitional movements in which the brain programs the appropriate movement on the fly to achieve the goal at hand. This fundamental process dictates our behavior, ranging from speech to motor skills. Our work has isolated neural antecedents of volitional movements in the mouse brain, also known as ‘preparatory activity’ or ‘readiness potentials’ in humans. I will discuss our progress delineating a brain-wide network supporting motor planning and highlight recent findings revealing a surprising link between preparatory activity and motor memory.

Bio: Nuo Li is Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University. He did his PhD work with Jim DiCarlo at MIT examining how the primate visual system constructs invariance object representations. For his postdoctoral work with Karel Svoboda at Janelia Research Campus, he contributed to the development of head-fixed behavioral paradigm in mice. His lab has developed tools to study brain-wide circuits in mice that support volitional movement. This work established anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM) important for decision-making and motor planning. His recent work found that the cerebellum contributes to cognitive processes by reciprocally interacting with the frontal cortex. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award and NIH Director’s Pioneer Award.