Ciencia Puerto Rico

Keven Laboy’s main interests lie in understanding how neural circuits in the brain’s cortex process sensory information. Currently, he uses a combination of electrophysiological and computational tools to determine how neurons in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) represent complex tactile stimuli. His research has shown that S1 neurons provide extremely accurate representations of vibrotactile sequences through precise spike timing and fast sensory integration. He has also shown that S1 neurons preferentially code for Braille-like patterns of tactile stimulation rather than simple point-stimulation. In the future, he will use optical and genetic tools to monitor and manipulate neural circuits during active sensation. His goal is to establish how cortical circuits integrate motor and sensory information to support perception and flexible behavior.