I have been intrigued by the complexity of the brain since college in Berkeley . When I finished college, I studied the plasticity of the brain during development and during learning and memory. After being introduced to the superior colliculus as a model for studying the integration of sensory and motor systems in one structure, I joined Professor Hall’s laboratory a decade ago and started my research on the visuo-motor control of eye movements. Currently, I am interested in the functional architecture of the superior colliculus, and in developing methods to study the synaptic circuitry. I am particularly interested in applying new technologies to answer questions about the functional organization of the superior colliculus. These technologies include combining in vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recording with photostimulation using caged neurotransmitters to characterize circuitry within and between collicular layers, and optical imaging of inhibitory circuitry using transgenic mice that express Clomeleon, a FRET-based chloride ion indicator. The strategy is to photostimulate different sources of input to a population of cells in the superior colliculus while measuring the dynamic changes in spatial and temporal properties of their responses using patch-clamp recording and optical imaging. My ultimate goal is to understand the mechanisms underlying the initiation and guidance of eye movements.