The CPLab is an interdepartmental neuroscience research laboratory at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Work in our lab centers around questions about neural coding, neuromodulation, and the neural bases of learning and memory processes, and is mostly based in the olfactory systems of rats and mice. We use whatever technical methods and tools necessary to answer our questions of interest, though our primary approach is to triangulate on these questions using a range of methods including electrophysiological recordings both in vivo and from optogenetically active brain slices (using a specialized recording rig and custom Ceed software), behavior analysis (using our deep learning-based video analysis application Annolid), 3D brain imaging using optically cleared tissue and light-sheet microscopy, and a wide variety of computational methods. We also develop neuromorphic learning algorithms for implementation in artificial systems.
As a theoretical neuroscience lab, we develop and make substantial use of computational models at multiple levels of analysis to interpret and guide our experimental work. Approaches pioneered in the CPL include the use of sequentially similar odorant stimuli to study how the “sizes and shapes” of odor representations are constructed and learned, and non-topographical contrast enhancement theory, which illustrates how canonical neural computations can be performed in the absence of any ordered topographical mapping of odor qualities within the brain. We developed the PRING coupled-oscillator model of olfactory bulb gamma dynamics and emphasize the role of fast oscillations and related spike timing control mechanisms for the mediation of olfactory learning and the construction of meaningful odor representations. A recent review summarizes how we think about the roles and mechanisms of olfactory bulb operations, and a recent preprint outlines our broader theory regarding the geometry of early olfactory category learning.
The lab has two principal investigators, Thomas Cleland and Christiane Linster, and is associated with the departments of Psychology and Neurobiology & Behavior at Cornell, both of which support concentrations in neuroscience at the undergraduate and PhD levels. We are presently affiliated with the graduate fields of Neurobiology & Behavior, Psychology, Computational Biology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering.
Lab Tech Position Available (Fall 2022)
We are hiring a lab technician to anchor our work in 3D immunohistochemistry in optically cleared brains. We have a developed workflow including aqueous-phase brain clearing using Clear+ with SHIELD stabilization, immunohistochemistry (and/or the use of endogenous fluorophores), light sheet imaging, and image analysis including registration to Allen CCFv3, segmentation using Allen or Kim/Paxinos and Franklin atlases, and automated cell counting, screening, and localization. Minimum 2 year commitment required. Immunohistochemistry experience is highly desirable. See details and apply online at https://cplab.science/techjob.