Key Documents
Eric I. Knudsen
Academic Appointments
- Professor, Neurobiology
Contact Information
- Academic
Offices
Administrative Contact Eric Knudsen Professor Email Tel Work 650-723-5492
Professional Snapshot
Administrative Appointments
- Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine - Neurobiology (2001 - 2005)
- Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine - Neurobiology (1988 - present)
Honors and Awards
- Karl Spencer Lashley Award, American Philosophical Society (2008)
- Peter Gruber Prize in Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience (2005)
- Member, National Academy of Sciences (2002)
- Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professorship, Stanford University School of Medicine (1995)
- Troland Research Award, National Academy of Sciences (1988)
Professional Education
| B.A.: | UC, Santa Barbara, Zoology (1971) |
| M.A.: | UC, Santa Barbara, Neuroscience (1973) |
| Ph.D.: | UC, San Diego, Neuroscience (1976) |
Postdoctoral Advisees
Ali Asadollahi , Catherine Dunn , Carson Goddard , Shreesh Mysore
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Community & International Work
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
We study mechanisms of attention, learning and strategies of information processing in the central auditory system of developing and adult barn owls, using neurophysiological, pharmacological, anatomical and behavioral techniques. Studies focus on the process of sound localization. Sound localization is shaped powerfully by an animal's auditory and visual experience. Experiments are being conducted to elucidate developmental influences, extent and time course of this learning process, and its dependence on visual feedback. The cellular mechanisms that underlie this example of learning are being studied to determine how experience adaptively alters the anatomical, pharmacological and functional properties of the brain in developing and adult animals. In addition, we study mechanisms of attention (gain control of sensory responses) and the rules by which auditory and visual information is combined into a single representation in the brain. Techniques offered in this laboratory include acoustic stimulation, extracellular recording, microstimulation, neuropharmacology, immunohistochemistry, anatomical pathway tracing, and behavioral analysis.
Publications
- Global inhibition and stimulus competition in the owl optic tectum. J Neurosci. 2010; (5): 1727-38
- Visual modulation of auditory responses in the owl inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol. 2009; (6): 2924-33
- Distinct mechanisms for top-down control of neural gain and sensitivity in the owl optic tectum. Neuron. 2008; (4): 698-708
- A Hebbian learning rule mediates asymmetric plasticity in aligning sensory representations. J Neurophysiol. 2008; (2): 1067-79
- Adaptive auditory plasticity in developing and adult animals. Prog Neurobiol. 2007; (3): 109-21
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