Group leader

My research is focused on vision. I studied electrical engineering and computer science before turning to neuroscience. I did my PhD at ETH Zurich in the laboratory of Matteo Carandini followed by postdoc in in the lab of Clay Reid at Harvard Medical School. In 2011, I moved to Leuven to start my own lab and help founding NERF. My research is centered on the visual cortex, its circuitry and its contribution to sensory perception and behavior. The lab applies methods from biology, engineering and physics to elucidate mechanisms of sensory processing. Together with Fabian Kloosterman, I teach a Master's level class on Neural Systems & Circuits.

Co-lead Research Scientist

My research focuses on understanding the neural circuits underlying the contextual processing of multisensory information, and how large-scale neural dysfunction contributes to sensory processing disorders. I have previously conducted research in both the visual and somatosensory systems. During my postdoctoral work at UCL and the University of Zurich, I demonstrated principles of sensorimotor integration in visual cortex neurons and across layers of the somatosensory cortex. Currently, I am focused on the large-scale circuit mechanisms of multisensory information selection. 

Marie Curie Fellow

Postdoc  |  Collaborative scientist, Vanderhaeghen lab, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research

In the mammalian brain, information about distinct aspects of visual scenes is distributed in a densely interconnected network of cortical areas, including the primary visual cortex and higher visual areas. My research interest is to (1) understand how visual information is represented in such a network and (2) by which rule these areas are functionally connected. Using two-photon calcium imaging and retrograde labeling approaches, I investigate the encoding properties of cortical neurons and functional connectivity among V1 and higher visual areas in awake mice. Solving these questions provides insights to how sensory information is processed in the brain and how it is used for visually-mediated behaviors.

FWO postdoctoral fellow

Postdoc

My longstanding interest is understanding how the brain translates an incredible amount of external and internal information into appropriate behavior. Even more fascinating is that these processes are highly flexible and adaptable to an ever-changing environment. After a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree specializing in neuroscience at Sorbonne University in Paris, I did my PhD in the lab of Sydney Wiener and Michael Zugaro at the College de France, Paris). I was particularly interested in understanding how the cortico-striatal system communicates to enable different behaviors. As a post-doctoral fellow, I joined the Bonin lab to investigate how the visual network selects and prioritizes behaviorally-relevant sensory signals.

FWO postdoctoral fellow

Postdoc  |  Collaborative scientist, Vanderhaeghen lab, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research

Restoring damaged brain function using patient-derived neurons is no longer a distant dream, but many hurdles and questions remain. What are the optimal conditions under which integration can happen? Using our recently developed xenotransplantation technique, we study how juvenile human pluripotent stem cell derived cortical pyramidal neurons integrate in the adult mouse brain. We show that human transplanted cortical neurons develop at their own intrinsic pace; nevertheless they integrate robustly and gain detailed sensory responses. Currently, we are exploring the rules of connectivity of transplanted cortical neurons, and whether one can enhance their circuit integration and functional maturation using optogenetics.

MSc student

I was born and raised in Turkey, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics. Currently, I am a second-year master’s student at KU Leuven, in the MSc in Biology program with a focus on molecular biology and physiology. I joined the Bonin lab for a student job in December 2021, and continued as a master’s student the following year. My master’s thesis focuses on the role of higher-order thalamic nuclei in the sensory selection process. I take an optogenetic approach to investigate the function of the lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus in cortical population dynamics.

MSc Student

I am from Belgium and hold a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from KU Leuven. My undergraduate research project in the Beets lab sparked my passion for neuroscience as I explored the role of the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1 in nociception in C. elegans. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology with a focus on molecular physiology, I am thrilled to continue research in the world of neuroscience. For my Master's thesis at the Bonin lab, I investigate the role of the cortex in sensory selection in mice. Using optogenetics, I silence the posterior cortex and explore the impact on behavior in a visual/tactile sensory selection task.

MSc student

I was born in Belgium and obtained my Bachelor degree in Biology from KU Leuven. I have always been fascinated by the complexity of the brain. For my Master Thesis in the Bonin lab, I investigate the differences between long-range inputs to the anterior and posterior retrosplenial cortex. This is done by performing an optimized retrograde dual labeling approach to label and quantify individual input neurons. In this way, we get a full brain registration and I am able to see which areas give input projections to the retrosplenial cortex.