Home Department: Bioengineering
Mentor: Jin Hyung Lee, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Neurosurgery, and Bioengineering

Current neuroimaging technologies can model brain structure but lack the capability to reveal neural circuit functions. The development of new imaging techniques such as optogenetic fMRI combines genomic expression with neural imaging to model the dynamic function of neural circuits. This research leads to more noninvasive methods for understanding brain function, and application of circuit imaging to diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Colton will be working to develop a technique to model brain function with sonic imaging in real time, allowing the subject to stay conscious and mobile, to understand the connection between action and neural function.