# The Influence of Neuronal Variability on Perception and Behavior

> **NIH NIH R35** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $409,376

## Abstract

Project Summary
Our response to the world is not simply the sum of what our sensory organs detect, but also how our
brain chooses to represent these detections, and act upon them. However, knowledge of how sensory
inputs are interpreted by our brains to yield behavioral outputs is lacking. Unlike simple reflexes, the
majority of our behaviors are governed by an internal representation of the external world. This internal
state is not static; but shows dynamic activity during both awake and sleep periods. In short, we are
always thinking. Even in sensory deprived contexts, nearly all regions of our brain remain active.
Therefore, the central challenge with predicting behavioral output from sensory input is that our
perception of the world is dynamic and highly variable, rendering many behaviors unpredictable.
Understanding the functional underpinnings of how internal dynamics arise in complex brains is limited.
However, dynamic internal states also influence perception and behavior in simple animals such as
Caenorhabditis elegans. It is currently the only organism where we have a detailed map of every neuron
and synapse. We can simultaneously manipulate and monitor the activity of every neuron in the brain.
This exquisite ability to manipulate specific neurons in a fully mapped brain makes C. elegans the ideal
organism to understand the complexity of resting state dynamics in a reduced system. My long-term
goal is to understand how neural circuits generate resting state dynamics on different timescales, and
how these states influence perception and behavior. Understanding this process will provide a
foundation for understanding the learning process, and the principles that govern how behavioral
novelty arises and adapts to the environment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9987663
- **Project number:** 5R35GM124883-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew George Gordus
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $409,376
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9987663

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9987663, The Influence of Neuronal Variability on Perception and Behavior (5R35GM124883-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9987663. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*