Haesler Lab

Haesler Lab

Research Lab on Neuroscience & Neurotechnology

NERF

VIB

imec

KU Leuven

About us

Haesler Lab is a vibrant place for research and is at the centre of many exciting projects in the European capital of innovation (2020). The aim of our lab is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the brain by studying fundamental information processing problems, that are evolutionarily conserved and can be readily studied in mice, the genetically most tractable mammal. Specifically, we focus on a simple computation, the ability to discriminate novel from familiar sensory stimuli. We use multielectrodes & optogenetics in awake behaving animals to investigate how sensory representations of novel but not familiar stimuli are transformed into motor responses. Moreover, we employ viral circuit tracing to delineate novelty circuits with cell type specific resolution. In addition to the experimental work on novelty circuits, we engage in method development, with a particular emphasis on novel brain interfaces.

Research Interests

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Novelty & Curiosity
When humans or animals detect novel stimuli in their environment, they respond with distinct orienting and exploratory behaviours, caused by an innate drive of perceptual curiosity. We study the brain mechanisms in the olfactory system that gives rise to these behaviours, and how these behaviours are affected by differences in stimulus quality and neuromodulatory input.
Novelty & Curiosity
Neurotechnology
Based on the imec campus, NERF is the perfect centre to mix cutting-edge technology with neuroscience. At Haesler lab, we specifically focus on improving our understanding of the brain by developing new tools that allow us to better interact with the central nervous system.
Neurotechnology

Recent Publications

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(2020). Failure Modes of Implanted Neural Interfaces. Neural Interface Engineering: Linking the Physical World and the Nervous System.

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Meet the Team

Principal Investigator

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Sebastian Haesler

Professor of Neuroscience

Circuit neuroscience, Learning & memory, Neurotechnology

Senior staff

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Cagatay Aydin

PostDoc

Neuronal circuits, Biomedical Engineering, Neuropixels

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Kacper Kondrakiewicz

PostDoc

Systems neuroscience, Behavior, Electrophysiology

Doctoral students

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Horacio Londoño Ramirez

PhD Student

Neurotechnology, Implantable Electrodes, Flexible Electronics

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Jasper Timmerman

PhD Student

Microfabrication, Neurotech, Brain-machine interfacing

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Ludwika Kondrakiewicz

collaborative PhD Student

Systems neuroscience, Social interactions, Olfaction, Electrophysiology

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Michiel Camps

PhD Student

Systems neuroscience, Neuroimaging, Computational neuroscience

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Paoline Coulson

PhD Student

Neurotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Microelectronics

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Robin De Plus

PhD Student

Systems neuroscience, Neurobiology and disease models, Artificial intelligence & Machine learning

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Simone Marcigaglia

PhD Student

Neurotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Artificial intelligence

Support staff

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Pamela Martin del Olmo

Research Assistant

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Sofie Luijten

Research Assistant

Alumni

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Jordi Cools

Neural Engineer

Neurotechnology, Flexible electronics

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Jose Esquivelzeta Rabell

PostDoc

Olfactory pathway, Systems neuroscience, Behaviour

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Martijn Broux

PhD Student

Neurobiology, Machine Learning & Artificial intelligence, Science

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