# Effects of local adaptation on parallel pathway circuit computations in the retina

> **NIH NIH K22** · BARNARD COLLEGE · 2022 · $142,701

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The retina is an adaptable circuit that is capable of rapidly changing its processing mode with changing
stimulus conditions. This is an enormous undertaking because the retina has to process an unpredictable and
wide-ranging assortment of inputs. An understanding of how local neuron dynamics are coordinated to
produce and alter global network computations is needed for understanding how neural circuits of the brain
are able to flexibly integrate information from many different areas. Advances on this front will have a broad
impact on the ability to design targeted therapies to ameliorate brain disorders. The long-term goal of the
proposed work is to understand how local adaptation mechanisms impact the computational function of
neural circuits like the retina. Signals from the photoreceptors are processed along parallel pathways in the
early part of the retina circuit and later combined. The properties of the visual inputs can modulate the how
these inputs are processed via local adaptation mechanisms. This kind of adaptation has consequences for the
manner in which visual inputs are encoded and processed in the early part of the visual system. The proposed
research during the mentored phase aims to characterize the rod pathway adaptation that leads to a switch in
computational processing of inputs and to determine the consequences for the spatiotemporal encoding of
visual inputs. I will characterize adaptation through the rod-AII pathway for a range of luminance conditions to
build a predictive model and to then determine how this adaptation affects the feature-sensitivity of ON α-
ganglion cells under different luminance conditions. The independent phase research will build on the progress
made during the mentored phase. There are several distinct ganglion cell types that convey information to the
brain about particular visual features - similar to the higher order processing that takes place in the visual
cortex. I will conduct studies to determine how ON and OFF α-ganglion cell types use the same circuitry to
produce computations that are fundamentally distinct beyond their opposite polarities. The objective of this
work is to obtain a better understanding of how mechanisms of local adaptation can reconfigure the
computational functions of diverse circuit components. The University of Washington offers the ideal
environment for my career development and for pursuing this highly interdisciplinary project. I have two
outstanding mentors, an experimentalist and a theorist. I will receive training to become proficient in retina
electrophysiology experiments and take courses to hone my quantitative skills. This training will prepare me to
launch my own lab with an interdisciplinary focus. The proposed research will establish my expertise in the
effects of biophysical mechanisms on sensory circuit computation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10661997
- **Project number:** 4K22NS104187-04
- **Recipient organization:** BARNARD COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Gabrielle Jacqueline Gutierrez
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $142,701
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10661997

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10661997, Effects of local adaptation on parallel pathway circuit computations in the retina (4K22NS104187-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10661997. Licensed CC0.

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