How the brain recognizes faces and shares that information between areas
Determining face representations within and transformations between temporal and prefrontal cortex
This project compares how two connected brain regions process faces to help explain face recognition differences seen in autism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247575 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work looks at how two brain areas — one in the anterior temporal cortex and one in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex — represent faces and communicate with each other. Researchers will present face images while recording single-neuron activity and using mesoscale calcium imaging in a small, smooth-brained primate model to map representations at cellular resolution. They plan to test whether one area codes physical features of faces while the other codes meaningful categories, and how signals flow forward and back between them. Although the experiments are done in animals and do not enroll people, the findings could clarify why face perception can differ for people with autism.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is a preclinical, laboratory neurophysiology project using animal models and does not enroll or require patient participants.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatments or clinical therapies are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal brain mechanisms behind face-processing differences in autism and guide future diagnostic or therapeutic approaches.
How similar studies have performed: Prior primate studies have mapped face-selective neurons, but combining multi-region high-density electrophysiology with mesoscale calcium imaging to study feedforward and feedback transformations is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Rockefeller University — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Freiwald, Winrich — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Freiwald, Winrich
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.