74. Neural Computation of Naturalistic Behaviours (with Professor Tiago Branco)

In today's episode, we are joined by Professor Tiago Branco, a Principal Investigator and Group Leader at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL. The Branco lab studies how instinctive decisions are computed from sensory information, and from representations of the world built from experience. In this episode, we discuss what different sorts of approaches (top-down vs bottom-up) you can employ to study the neural basis of behaviour, and how computational models of behaviours can be created and used based on experimental data. Drawing on Professor Branco's extensive experience in the field of neuroscience, we delve into his research past and how it led him to pursue his current focus. We also explore how ethologically relevant naturalistic behaviours can be studied in a lab, and the paradigms that are utilised for this purpose in the context of instinctive defensive behaviours and responses to imminent threat.

You can find out more about the Branco Lab here: https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/groups/branco-lab

Today’s episode was made possible thanks to the support of the Sainsbury Wellcome Public Engagement fund. We would like to thank Sainsbury Welcome Centre (SWC) for the generous grant supporting Science Communication initiatives like these. ⁠⁠https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/⁠⁠

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