Overall Goal

We study how large-scale brain circuits support cognition and how their dysfunction leads to neurological disorders. Our research focuses on the interactions between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex, two regions that play a central role in perception, memory, and decision-making.

Using a combination of electrophysiology, optogenetics, and behavioral assessments, we investigate how thalamocortical networks shape information processing in the brain. In particular, we examine how these circuits generate and control brain rhythms, and how disruptions in these dynamics contribute to aging and disorders such as epilepsy and neurodevelopmental conditions.

A major goal of our work is to identify circuit mechanisms that link pathological activity to cognitive deficits, and to leverage this knowledge to guide the development of new therapeutic strategies, including neuromodulation approaches such as deep brain stimulation.

Research Focus

We are interested in addressing questions such as:

• How do thalamocortical circuits support cognition?

• How are these circuits affected by aging?

• How are they altered in epilepsy, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease?

How can targeted thalamic stimulation restore circuit function and behavior?

Methodology

Our lab uses a wide range of technical approaches to address these questions, including:

• Slice patch-clamp electrophysiology

• Large-scale in vivo single-unit recordings

• Stereotaxic surgery and viral vector injection

• Opto- and chemogenetic manipulation of circuit activity

• Mouse behavioral assays and disease mouse models

• Anatomical tracing and fluorescence microscopy

Philosophy

A central goal of the lab is to contribute to the training of the next generation of neuroscientists. We view research and teaching as closely connected activities and are actively involved in education at the bachelor’s and master’s levels.

The lab welcomes students at different stages of their training, from undergraduate and master’s interns to PhD candidates. We aim to provide a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment in which trainees can develop technical expertise, critical thinking, and scientific independence.

Through mentorship, collaborative research, and engagement in teaching, we strive to prepare young scientists to tackle the major challenges in neuroscience.

Beyond seizure control: identifying deficits in cognitive networks in absence epilepsy.

Vantomme G, Devienne G, Hull JM, Huguenard JR, Science Advances 2026

Stimulation of the thalamic nucleus reuniens reduces seizure occurrence and restores reversal learning performance in epileptic mice, highlighting it as a promising target for deep brain stimulation in patients with absence epilepsy and cognitive comorbidities.

The reuniens thalamus recruits recurrent excitation in the medial prefrontal cortex.

Vantomme G, Devienne G, Hull JM, Huguenard JR, PNAS 2025

Reuniens-driven thalamic inputs are amplified in the medial prefrontal cortex, creating sustained windows of excitation that may shape memory processing.

A Thalamic Reticular Circuit for Head Direction Cell Tuning and Spatial Navigation.

Vantomme G, Rovó Z, Cardis R, Béard E, Katsioudi G, Guadagno A, Perrenoud V, Fernandez LMJ, Lüthi A, Cell Rep. 2020

Beyond sensory signal refinement, the thalamic reticular nucleus regulates the precision of internal head-direction signals, thereby influencing navigation strategies.

Regulation of Local Sleep by the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus.

Vantomme G, Osorio-Forero A, Lüthi A, Fernandez LMJ, Front. Neurosci. 2019

Heterogeneity within the thalamic reticular nucleus drives local NREM sleep dynamics, revealing that sleep is not a uniform brain-wide state and highlighting a subcortical mechanism shaping region-specific cortical rhythms.