Xize Xu comes to Yale with a background in applied mathematics and uses theory, simulation, and analysis of neural data to uncover how population dynamics enable computations in the visual cortex. In his Kavli-supported postdoctoral research (Kavli Postdoctoral Fellowship 2023 – labs of Monika Jadi and Anirvan Nandy), he employs both mechanistic and statistical circuit-level models to explore the mechanisms of visual crowding, a ubiquitous phenomenon in peripheral vision that severely degrades our ability to identify objects in clutter. Specifically, Dr. Xu investigates how crowding stimuli and their spatial configuration influence interactions of neuronal ensembles in the macaque visual cortex. Collaborating closely with the Nandy lab, which collects high-density electrophysiological data, allows him to test his models rigorously. Dr. Xu’s Kavli project promises to significantly advance our understanding of the cortical circuits involved in visual processing.
This article is part of a special series highlighting the impact of the Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale. The series will be published ahead of the Kavli 20th Anniversary Symposium, taking place on Friday, September 20th in TAC.