FUSION: Functional structure of the retina: A physiological and computational approach

Project Summary

This project aims to better understand the retina's response to complex visual stimuli and unravel the role played by the lateral interneurons network (amacrine cells) in this response. For this, we will adopt a dual methodology: experimental and computational. Using real-time control and feedback loop we will exploit a computational model of the retina to adapt, in real-time, visual stimulations to recorded retinal cell responses. The experiments will be done in Valparaiso (Chile).

The BIOVISION team will develop the control software and extrapolate results at the Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur based on its recent theoretical advances in retina modelling, in collaboration with R. Cofré (U. Valparaiso and  NeuroPSI CNRS). This is, therefore, a transdisciplinary and international project at the interface between biology, computer sciences, and mathematical neurosciences. Beyond a better understanding of its network structure's role in shaping the retina's response to complex spatiotemporal stimuli, this project could potentially impact methods for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

In France:

• Bruno Cessac, researcher, FUSION coordinator, project-team BIOVISION, Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria
• Simone Ebert, former PhD student in BIOVISION, Inria, now in Tübbingen, Germany
• Erwan Petit, PhD student, project-team BIOVISION, Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria
• Laura Piovano, PhD student, BIOVISION project team, Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria
• Luc Pronzato, researcher, I3S Laboratory, CNRS
• Ludovic Sacchelli, researcher, McTAO project-team, Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria
• Former member: Rodrigo Cofré, postdoctoral researcher, Laboratoire de Physique de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Cité

In Chile:

• Adrián Palacios, researcher, FUSION coordinator, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Instituto de Sistemas Complejos de Valparaíso
• María José Escobar, researcher, Centro Avanzado de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
• Evelyn Aviles, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• Rodrigo Urra, Master's student in Neuroscience, Universidad de Valparaíso
• Former member: Francisco Miqueles Varela, research assistant, Universidad de Valparaíso
• Former member: Daniela Ponce, research assistant, Universidad de Valparaíso
• Former member: Jorge Portal, doctoral student, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

• Inria Chile and Universidad de Valparaíso strengthen ties looking to the future of science and technology and sign a framework cooperation agreement

• Journées Scientifiques Inria Chile 2023 brought together more than 300 French and Chilean researchers in three regions of Chile