Beyond forming images, light provides the brain with continuous information about the external world – signaling safety or threat, shaping alertness and motivation, and influencing how we learn from experience. We study how these variations are transformed by the nervous system into signals that guide emotion, cognition, and motivation.

To address this question, we investigate the structure and function of specific retinal and brain circuits using complementary rodent models, including the nocturnal mouse and the diurnal sand rat. By integrating analyses across multiple levels, we link neural activity to behavior and mental state.

Our work combines anatomical mapping of neural circuits with physiological and functional measurements of neural and neurotransmitter activity, targeted manipulation of defined cell types and pathways, and quantitative behavioral assays to examine how visual and light-related signals are processed in the brain.

In parallel, our human research integrates behavioral measures with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how light intensity information influences brain activity in higher-order brain regions.

By bridging animal and human studies, we aim to uncover shared principles by which neural circuits convert visual information into meaningful brain signals that shape behavior and experience across species.