Abstract

There are about the same number of stars in our galaxy as there are neurons in our brain. To study stars and neurons using optical imaging, the speaker and her group face similar challenges of image degradation by aberrations and scattering. Adaptive optics, a form of wavefront shaping, has revolutionized astronomy by allowing ground-based telescopes to obtain high-resolution images of stars through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. Applying wavefront shaping to brain imaging is similarly beneficial. In this talk, the speaker will discuss her development of wavefront shaping techniques that achieve sharper, deeper, and faster imaging of the mouse brain in vivo. These methods have helped her delineate the progression of neural responses to visual inputs of different orientations and directions as information flows through the mouse's primary visual cortex. She will also discuss recent advances on endomicroscopic techniques that allow her to image deeply buried nuclei that are beyond the image depth limit imposed by scattering in the brain.

About the speaker

Dr Na Ji received her BSc in Chemistry from University of Science and Technology of China in 2000 and PhD in Chemistry from University of California at Berkeley in 2005. She joined Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2006 and is currently the Group Leader at the Janelia Research Campus.

Dr Ji’s research aims to develop adaptive optical methods to improve imaging resolution in vivo. She applies these methods to the structural and functional imaging of neural circuits. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including Neuron, Scientific Reports, Optics Express, Physical Review Letters, etc.

For attendees’ attention

		The lecture is free and open to all. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.
		Light refreshments will be served from 4:45 to 5:15 pm.

HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study
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