Mathematical Biology Seminar Greg Handy, University of Chicago Wednesday, September 15, 2021 3:05pm on Zoom Unveiling the role of inhibitory subtypes in cortical circuits with mathematical modeling: From frequency sweeps to gamma rhythms Abstract: Inhibitory neurons play a crucial role in many components of sensory processing, including modulating feature selectivity, mediating response suppression, and maintaining an asynchronous network state. Past mathematical models have successfully replicated and furthered our understanding of some of these processes by considering a recurrent network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. However, experimental evidence has shown that significant diversity exists within this inhibitory population, with 80% of neurons falling into one of three major subtypes: parvalbumin (PV)-, somatostatin (SOM)-, and vasointestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing neurons. In this talk, I will construct spatial models of the visual and auditory cortices that incorporate this diversity and make use of tools such as linear response theory to investigate the connectivity properties of these circuits. I will use these models and techniques to show how a division of labor among these interneuron subtypes enables the cortex to 2) have neurons selectively respond to directional auditory sweeps and 2) control gamma band synchronization during the presentation of visual stimuli.