How Your Brain Sees Through Movement: Decoding Visual Perception During Self-Motion
M1/M2 Research Internship* | Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI)

The Challenge
Every time you walk down a busy street, your brain solves an extraordinary puzzle: which visual changes come from your own movement, and which come from the world around you? This ability to separate self-generated from externally-generated visual signals is fundamental to perception, yet we don’t know the neural circuits that make it possible. Recent discoveries show that head motion modulates visual cortex (V1) activity and that the pulvinar thalamus is critical for this process—but the specific pathways connecting the thalamus to V1 during movement remain a mystery.

Your Mission
Identify the cortical pathways that carry self-motion signals from the pulvinar thalamus to primary visual cortex. Using awake head-fixed mice, you’ll combine:

High-density electrophysiological recording to capture neural activity across brain regions
Optogenetic silencing to test which cortical areas relay self-motion information to V1
Intrinsic imaging to map higher visual areas with precision
Simultaneous recording during passive head movement to dissect motion-related signals

What You’ll Gain
Hands-on training in cutting-edge systems neuroscience techniques within a supportive, multi-disciplinary team. You’ll master electrophysiology, optogenetics, and circuit mapping while working at the intersection of sensory processing and motor control. This project bridges cellular mechanisms and behavior, with potential implications for understanding how the brain constructs accurate representations during natural movement.
Perfect for students seeking rigorous technical training in circuit neuroscience with state-of-the-art tools.
*Project scope adaptable: M1 students will focus on optogenetic silencing and V1 recording techniques; M2 students will additionally conduct multi-area recordings and contribute to data analysis.