Neurons & Synapses

The Mary and Mark Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) is home to an interdisciplinary group of researchers, programmers, and visualization specialists capable of producing sophisticated scientific visualizations. Videos like these help researchers better comprehend highly complex neuroimaging data. INI’s Center for Integrative Connectomics, led by Associate Professor of Neurology Hongwei Dong, aims to map the entire mammalian brain on multiple scales, including at the cellular level. The data shown in this video were collected by postdoctoral researcher Mike Bienkowski, using genetic engineering techniques and a powerful two-photon microscope. The video depicts neuronal connections between the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions and feelings of fear, and the medial prefrontal cortex. By isolating connections to and from specific areas of the brain, scientists can more closely investigate how those regions form the neural circuits that drive our behavior.