Prof. Cristina Masoller lab:
research line on neuronal models, excitability and nonlinear dynamics
In nonlinear systems the presence of noise often facilitates
the detection and transmission of weak signals. Sensory neurons exploit noise
for encoding and transmitting external signals in sequences of spikes.
Although the statistical properties of the spike sequences have been
extensively investigated, the way in which neurons encode information remains
not fully understood. Among other mechanisms, neurons can encode information
in the spike rate (“rate coding”) or in the timing of the spikes (“temporal
coding”). We are interested in studying temporal correlations in the timing
of neuronal spikes. We use neuronal models to analyze
spike correlations when a neuron perceives a weak signal that is covered by
background noise. We are also interested in the comparison of the
statistical properties of neuronal ISI sequences and those of the
experimentally recorded optical
spikes emitted by a semiconductor laser, which resemble neuronal spikes.
Establishing a connection between these different dynamical systems can offer
new perspectives in both, photonics and neuroscience. Laser-based photonic
neurons can provide a novel, inexpensive and controllable experimental set up
for improving our understanding of neuronal activity. On the other hand,
laser-based photonic neurons can be building blocks of neuro-inspired,
ultra-fast optical computing devices. |
Neuronal spikes simulated with the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. Optical spikes recorded in the semiconductor laser
lab in Terrassa. |
Recent publications Noise-induced
extreme events in Hodgkin–Huxley neural networks B. R.R.
Boaretto, E. E.N. Macau, C. Masoller Chaos,
Solitons & Fractals 194, 116133 (2025). arXiv Quantifying wave
propagation in a chain of FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons L. Messee Goulefack, C. Masoller, R. Yamapi, C. Anteneodo Chaos 35, 033110 (2025). https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.16414 Recent presentations 16th International
Workshop on Neural Coding, Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland, June 2025 Invited talk: Neural
coding of subthreshold sinusoidal inputs into symbolic temporal spike
patterns |
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Funding ICREA ACADEMIA (2021-2025) Information Processing and Sensing with Photonic
Neurons. European Office of Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD)
reference number: FA8655-24-1-7022 (2024-2027) |
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