Jeff Lichtman’s interest in how specific neuronal connections are made and maintained began while he was a MD-PhD student at Washington University in Saint Louis. Lichtman remained at Washington University for nearly 30 years. In 2004, he moved to Harvard University where he is Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and a member of the Center for Brain Science. A major focus of Lichtman’s current research is to decode the map of all the neural connections in the brain. To this end, Lichtman and his colleagues have developed exciting new tools and techniques such as “Brainbow” mice and automated ultra thin tissue slicing machines.
Jeff Lichtman explains how mapping the connections in the brain (the connectome) may lead to a better understanding of brain function. (Talk recorded in July 2013)
Jeff Lichtman describes resolution in microscopy and the diffraction of light, a key principle in image formation and a factor that limits the resolution of a conventional light microscope. (Talk recorded in December 2012)