W. Martin Usrey

W. Martin Usrey is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis, and affiliated with the Center for Neuroscience. His research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying attention, cognition, and emotion, with a strong emphasis on systems and sensory neuroscience.

• Current research explores thalamocortical interactions, corticogeniculate feedback, and visual signal processing.
• Key contributions include studies on beta-band oscillations, stimulus contrast effects, and parallel neural pathways in primates.

Research trends from recent publications reveal a focus on corticothalamic feedback dynamics, temporal integration in visual pathways, and computational approaches to predictive coding. Subfields include gamma oscillations, burst activity modulation, and synaptic efficacy in retinogeniculate communication.

Lab activities include mentoring PhD students like Alyssa Sanchez and Scottie, as well as collaborative projects on multimodal brain research (e.g., BRAIN EAGER grant).