Herzfeld Lab News

Our paper describing methods to perform identification of neuron-type in the cerebellar cortex of awake, behaving primates has now been published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The paper is available on the JNS website or on the Publications page.

We are thrilled to announce the official opening of the Herzfeld Lab in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting July 1. Equipment, supplies, and animals are already arriving, and the lab is quickly coming to life. We look forward to the many discoveries and innovations that lie ahead!

Our highly collaborative paper describing a method for identification of cerebellar neuron-types directly from extra-cellular recordings was published today in the journal Cell! We hope this research inspires other laboratories to follow similar strategies in other brain areas, potentially allowing links from circuit processing to behavior. The published version of the paper is available on Cell’s website or on the Publications page.

David and Steve Lisberger published a new BioRxiv preprint. Using our new-found ability to identify cerebellar neurons directly from their extracellular signatures, this manuscript describes the circuit-level computations performed by the cerebellum during smooth pursuit eye movements. The paper describes the input-output transformations performed by the flocculus, a region of the cerebellum crucially involved in the control of smooth pursuit eye movements. A copy of the preprint is available on the Publications page or on BioRxiv.

David and Steve Lisberger published a new BioRxiv preprint. The manuscript describes how we developed new methods to identify cerebellar neuron types directly from extracellular recordings. The preprint is available on BioRxiv or on the Publications page. These methods, coupled with validation from our cerebellar cell-type deep-learning classifier, are allowing us to interrogate the circuit computations in the cerebellar cortex during sensory-motor behaviors. Stay tuned for those results!

David published a new Elife Insight article, highlighting new results from the Sillitoe Lab at Baylor College of Medicine. The Insight article is available on Elife’s website or on the Publications page. The original study by the Sillitoe Lab (van der Heijden and collegues) shows how cerebellar stimulation may be a useful therapeutic for a range of disorders.

David is set to join the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an Assistant Professor in July of 2025.

New preprint posted! A collaborative effort of multiple labs demonstrates how to go from extracellular recordings to cell type labels in the cerebellum! The preprint is available on bioRxiv or on the Publications page.

A new Neuron paper published! Work with Stephen G. Lisberger demonstrates conclusively that synchrony is not a signal that the cerebellum uses to control motor behavior. Paper available on Neuron’s website or on the Publications page.

New paper accepted for publication at Elife. Work with Stephen G. Lisberger and colleagues shows how careful analysis of behavior can reveal the properties of the learning circuit. The newly published paper is available on Elife’s website or on the Publications page.