Florent Haiss

Florent Haiss is a researcher at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, where he leads a research group within the Neural Circuit Dynamics and Decision Making team under the Physics of Biological Function unit. His work is centered on understanding how cortical microcircuits process sensory information and contribute to perception, learning, and decision-making in behaving animals.

His research interests lie at the intersection of systems neuroscience, neurophysiology, and behavioral neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on sensory systems—particularly the somatosensory and visual systems. He investigates how neuronal networks interact during cognitive tasks, using advanced methods such as two- and three-photon imaging, optogenetics, intracellular patch-clamp recordings, multi-electrode arrays, and psychophysics in rodent models.

The trends in his recent publications indicate a focus on neural coding in the barrel cortex, including how state, choice, and sensory inputs are co-represented. His work also explores autonomic correlates of cognition (e.g., pupillary responses), neural adaptation, and the development of novel neuroimaging tools and neural interfaces. His methodological innovations support long-term, in vivo investigations of neural dynamics.

• Functional and Structural Properties of Highly Responsive Somatosensory Neurons in Mouse Barrel Cortex
• Coexistence of state, choice, and sensory integration coding in barrel cortex LII/III
• Pupillary dilations reflect task engagement and confidence in mice
• Design of ultra-flexible two-photon microscopes for in vivo use
• Reorganization of cortical activity during sensory deprivation

Florent Haiss mentors early-career researchers, including PhD students and postdoctoral fellows such as Ervan Achirou, indicating an active and productive research group. He has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards in the provided texts. His research is supported by institutional affiliations and collaborative networks at the Institut Pasteur, particularly within transversal programs involving quantitative biology and artificial intelligence in biomedical research.

He is involved in the development of advanced technologies for neuroscience, including flexible microscopes and large-scale electrode arrays for retinal stimulation, reflecting a strong engineering and translational component in his work. His team collaborates across disciplines, integrating computational modeling with experimental neuroscience.