Dr. Ron A. Jortner

• Neural codes

• Computation in circuits of the neocortex

• Plasticity in the visual system

• Information processing in the olfactory system

I am fascinated by networks - by the non-trivial behaviors displayed by groups of interacting individual components. In particular, I am interested in how populations of nerve cells encode and process information about the world, and in how the design of neuronal circuits underlies the computations they perform.

My previous research focused on the olfactory system of insects. There, I took advantage of the system’s relative simplicity to disentangle its functional architecture in detail, revealing the basic principles which govern its design and underlie its function. My current research involves studying neuronal plasticity within the complex circuitry of the mammalian neocortex, with the long-term goal of linking it to perception and memory.

I believe that understanding how computations take place in the brain requires a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. To this end, I use several electrophysiological- and imaging techniques to study neural circuitry, and mathematical modeling to shed light on how the relations between the different network parameters give rise to its higher properties. Bridging the gaps between the levels of neuronal circuitry, computation and eventually behavior and cognition, presents a formidable challenge for future systems neuroscience.

Related Publications

• Jortner, R (2013): Neural Coding in the Olfactory System.. In: Principles of Neural Coding. R. Quian Quiroga and S. Panzeri (Eds.).CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, UK. In press. (Abstract)

• Jortner, RA (2012): Network architecture underlying maximal separation of neuronal representations. Front Neuroeng 5 : 19. (Abstract)

• Jortner, RA, Farivar, SS, and Laurent, G (2007): A simple connectivity scheme for sparse coding in an olfactory system. Journal of Neuroscience 27(7): 1659-1669. ( Abstract )