Faculty
E. J. Chichilnisky
Associate Professor
Systems Neurobiology Laboratories

E. J. Chichilnisky, an associate professor in the Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, uses multi-electrode recording to examine the function of the retina. For many years, neuroscientists have been examining nervous system function by recording the electrical activity of individual nerve cells. Chichilnisky and his team are working to take such research to the next level by recording the activity of large groups of cells at once. This step is necessary because even the simplest functions of the nervous system involve many thousands of neurons.
Chichilnisky's laboratory is focused on how the retina processes visual information and transmits this information to the brain. A key area of interest is how retinal neurons collectively communicate visual motion information to areas of the brain responsible for motion perception and behavior guided by motion. Other areas of investigation include the role of synchronized activity in retinal signalling, and how retinal signals mediate the detection of small numbers of photons in dim lighting conditions. Chichilnisky's lab uses a state-of-the-art 512-electrode recording system, developed in collaboration with an international group of high-energy physicists, that allows them to monitor hundreds of cells at once while stimulating the retina with spatial and temporal patterns of light. A long-term goal of the research is to contribute to development of visual prosthetics, devices that could be implanted in the eye and substitute for retinal tissue damaged by disease or other trauma.
Education
- A.B., Mathematics, Princeton University
- M.S., Mathematics, Stanford University
- Ph.D., Neuroscience, Stanford University
Awards and Honors
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow, 1991-1995
- Helen Hay Whitney fellow, 1996-1998
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship, 2000-2002
- McKnight Scholar's Award, 2001-2003
- McKnight Technological Innovation in Neuroscience Award (with A. Litke), 2004-2005
Selected Publications
- Shlens J, Field GD, Gauthier JL, Grivich MI, Petrusca D, Sher A, Litke AM, & Chichilnisky EJ (2006) The structure of multi-neuron firing patterns in primate retina. Journal of Neuroscience 26(32):8254-8266. [reprint] [journal cover]
- Sekirnjak C, Hottowy P, Sher A, Dabrowski W, Litke AM, & Chichilnisky EJ (2006) Electrical stimulation of mammalian retinal ganglion cells with multi-electrode arrays. Journal of Neurophysiology 95:3311-3327. [reprint] [journal cover]
- Pillow JW, Paninski L, Uzzell VJ, Simoncelli EP, & Chichilnisky EJ (2005) Prediction and decoding of retinal ganglion cell responses with a probabilistic spiking model. Journal of Neuroscience 25(47):11003-11013. [reprint]
- Frechette ES, Sher A, Grivich MI, Petrusca D, Litke AM, & Chichilnisky EJ (2005) Fidelity of the ensemble code for visual motion in primate retina. Journal of Neurophysiology 94(1):119-135. [reprint]
- Chichilnisky EJ & Rieke F (2005) Detection sensitivity and temporal resolution of visual signals near absolute threshold in the salamander retina. Journal of Neuroscience 25(2):313-330. [reprint]
Links
- for more information and additional publications, please visit our lab website.

