Seminar: Thalamocortical Networks for Flexible Cognition: Circuit Computations to Clinical Applications

About this Seminar

Interactions between the thalamus and cortex are critical for cognition, yet the precise computational roles of the thalamus have remained unclear. While classical models emphasize its function as a relay to or between cortical areas, recent work reveals genuine thalamic computations and diverse output patterns that go beyond signal transmission. In this talk, Dr. Halassa will describe how the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus generates task-relevant variables and dynamically regulates prefrontal excitatory- inhibitory balance and effective connectivity during decision-making. These results suggest that the MD thalamus supports hierarchical reasoning and multi-step decision  processes by contributing to computations central to credit assignment. Drawing on circuit manipulations in animals, performance- optimized neural models, and human neuroimaging, Dr. Halassa will illustrate how this integrative, translational framework informs novel strategies for targeting cognitive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia while creating opportunities for real world clinical data collection and training the next generation of clinician-scientists.

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