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Sam Gale
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Sam Gale, Ph.D.

Scientist III
Neural Dynamics

Bio:

Sam Gale's Ph.D. research, in David Perkel’s lab at the University of Washington, focused on basal ganglia circuits required for vocal learning in songbirds. He moved to Janelia Research Campus for post-doctoral research with Gabe Murphy. At Janelia, he first worked to quantitatively describe cell types in the mouse superficial superior colliculus (SC), their visual response properties, and their anatomical connections. He then focused on the mechanisms of visual response selectivity in one particularly interesting SC cell type that projects to visual thalamic area LP. LP is now the current target of his research at the Allen Institute.

Research Focus:

The first aim of my research at the Allen Institute is to discover the anatomical connectivity, subdivisions, and function of mouse visual thalamic area LP. Extensive projections between LP and visual cortex allow cortical areas to communicate, but the function of these cortico-thalamic loops are unknown. LP also provides an alternative route through which visual information from the retina (via the superior colliculus) can influence cortical circuits. The second aim of my research is record activity in multiple cortical and subcortical structures simultaneously with Neuropixel probes while mice engage in behavioral tasks.

News & Events

    Publications

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    Nature

    Survey of spiking in the mouse visual system reveals functional hierarchy

    Apr 01, 2021

    Joshua H. Siegle, Xiaoxuan Jia, Séverine Durand, Sam Gale, Corbett Bennett, Nile Graddis, Greggory Heller, Tamina K. Ramirez, Hannah Choi, Jennifer A. Luviano, Peter A. Groblewski, Ruweida Ahmed, Anton Arkhipov, Amy Bernard, Yazan N. Billeh, Dillan Brown, Michael A. Buice, Nicolas Cain, Shiella Caldejon, Linzy Casal, Andrew Cho, Maggie Chvilicek, Timothy C. Cox, Kael Dai, Daniel J. Denman, Saskia E. J. de Vries, Roald Dietzman, Luke Esposito, Colin Farrell, David Feng, John Galbraith, Marina Garrett, Emily C. Gelfand, Nicole Hancock, Julie A. Harris, Robert Howard, Brian Hu, Ross Hytnen, Ramakrishnan Iyer, Erika Jessett, Katelyn Johnson, India Kato, Justin Kiggins, Sophie Lambert, Jerome Lecoq, Peter Ledochowitsch, Jung Hoon Lee, Arielle Leon, Yang Li, Elizabeth Liang, Fuhui Long, Kyla Mace, Jose Melchior, Daniel Millman, Tyler Mollenkopf, Chelsea Nayan, Lydia Ng, Kiet Ngo, Thuyahn Nguyen, Philip R. Nicovich, Kat North, Gabriel Koch Ocker, Doug Ollerenshaw, Michael Oliver, Marius Pachitariu, Jed Perkins, Melissa Reding, David Reid, Miranda Robertson, Kara Ronellenfitch, Sam Seid, Cliff Slaughterbeck, Michelle Stoecklin, David Sullivan, Ben Sutton, Jackie Swapp, Carol Thompson, Kristen Turner, Wayne Wakeman, Jennifer D. Whitesell, Derric Williams, Ali Williford, Rob Young, Hongkui Zeng, Sarah Naylor, John W. Phillips, R. Clay Reid, Stefan Mihalas, Shawn R. Olsen, Christof Koch

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