Dr. Anton Sirota research is focused on the mechanisms of information representation and propagation within and across different cortical networks. Specifically, their lab are exploring the neurophysiological mechanisms of information transfer within and between the neocortex and hippocampus during learning (acquisition) and sleep (consolidation), as one of the key topics in learning and memory research.
Dr. Sirota’s Lab employ state-of-the-art multichannel extracellular recordings in different cortical areas in behaving rats. Recordings with multichannel silicon probes allow the researchers in the lab to sample the activity of multiple single neurons and local field potentials across multiple layers of one or several cortical areas. They also employ various perturbation techniques, such as electrical stimulation and optogenetic modulation of neuronal activity. The lab’s aim employ behavioral paradigms and animal tracking methods that allow for quantitative and precise control of animal behavior. Sirota’s research involves advanced signal processing and data mining, as well as computational modeling.