Kevan Martin

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Work phone:
41 44/ 635 30 57
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As an undergraduate I majored in Psychology, Logic and Metaphysics, Physiology, and followed these with a Masters in Civil Engineering and a D.Phil. in Neurobiology. Not surprisingly, given this background that my passion is to understand how the structure of neocortex enables the functional complexity we see in our sensation, perception, cognition and action. My unifying ‘astonishing hypothesis’ is that my neocortex achieves its enormous range of competence through neural circuits that are basically the same as those found in the brain of a cat or a mouse. My ideas are kept grounded through decades-long discussions with Rodney Douglas, a lively bunch of critical young colleagues, and a resident flâneur. I explore many aspects of performance in search of an answer to the simple question: what is the relationship between thought and movement? Some of my personal performances are as a member of Paracotta, a formation skydiving team that trains in Switzerland, and in riding a 1936 vintage motorcycle.

Projects

Teaching

INI-401 Introduction to Neuroinformatics
INI-402 Computational Vision
INI-425 Block: Computational Neuroscience
INI-426 Block: Systems Neuroscience
INI-431 Foundational Literature of Neuroscience
INI-501 Foundational Literature of Neuroscience
INI-701 Kolloquium in Neuroinformatik

Publications

2011

2010

  • da Costa, N M and Fuersinger, D and Martin, K A C The synaptic organization of the claustral projection to the cat's visual cortex, Journal of Neuroscience, 30:(39) 13166-13170, 2010
  • da Costa, N M and Martin, K A C Whose cortical column would that be?, Frontiers in neuroanatomy(4) 16, 2010
  • Heinzle, J and Hepp, K and Martin, K A C A biologically realistic cortical model of eye movement control in reading, Psychological Review, 117:(3) 808-830, 2010
  • Martin, K A C Taking animal rights personally, book review of: An Odyssey with Animals: A Veterinarian’s Reflections on the Animal Rights & Welfare Debate by Adrian R Morrison, Oxford University Press, 2009, Nature Neuroscience, 13: 1301, 2010
  • Martin, K A C and Scott, K Editorial Overview: Current Opinion in Neurobiology - Sensory systems, Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 20:(3) 271-273, 2010
  • Binzegger, T and Douglas, R J and Martin, K A C An axonal perspective on cortical circuits, New Aspects of Anoxal Structure and Function 117-139, 2010
  • Douglas, R J and Martin, K A C Canonical cortical circuits, Handbook of Brain Microcircuits 15-21, 2010
  • Mayank, M and Buzsaki, G and Kreiter, A and Lansner, A and Lücke, J and Martin, K and Moghaddam, B and Moser, M B and Nikolic, D and Sejnowski, T J Coordination in circuits, Dynamic coordination in the brain : from neurons to mind 133-148, 2010

2009

2008

  • Douglas, R.J. and Kennedy, H. and Knoblauch, K. and Martin, K.A.C. Computation in 3-D: the circuits of neocortex, The Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 2008
  • Douglas, R.J. and Kennedy, H. and Martin, K.A.C. Visual cortex – neurons and local circuits, The Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 2008

2007

  • Banitt, Y and Martin, KAC and Segev, I A biologically realistic model of contrast invariant orientation tuning by thalamocortical synaptic depression , Journal of Neuroscience, 27: 10230-10239, 2007
  • Binzegger, T and Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC Stereotypical patch organization of single neurons in cat primary visual cortex, Journal of Neuroscience, 27: 12242-12254, 2007
  • Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC The butterfly and the loom, Brain Research Reviews, 55: 314-328, 2007
  • Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC Recurrent neuronal circuits in the neocortex, Current Opinion in Biology, 17: R496-500, 2007
  • Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC Mapping the matrix: the ways of neocortex, Neuron, 56: 226-238, 2007
  • Heinzle, J and Hepp, K and Martin, KAC A microcircuit model of the frontal eye fields, Journal of Neuroscience, 27: 9341-9353, 2007
  • Kiper, Daniel C and Martin, Kevan AC and Scherberger, Hans J Cortical Plasticity: A view from non-human primates, Neurodegenerative diseases, 4: 34-42, 2007
  • Nägerl , UV and Köstinger , G and Anderson , JC and Martin, KAC and Bonhoeffer, T Protracted synaptogenesis after activity-dependent spinogenesis in hippocampal neurons., Journal of Neuroscience, Jul 25;27(30):8149-56:(27(30)) 8149-56, 2007

2006

  • Anderson, JC and Martin, KAC Synaptic connection from cortical area V4 to V2 in macaque monkey, Journal of Comparative Neurology, 495:(6) 709-721, 2006

2005

  • Anderson, JC and Martin, KAC Connection from cortical area V2 to V3A in macaque monkey, Journal of Comparative Neurology, 488:(3) 320-330, 2005
  • Banitt, Y and Martin, KAC and Segev, I Depressed responses of facilitatory synapses, Journal of Neurophysiology, 94: 865-870, 2005

2004

  • Binzegger, T. and Douglas, R. and Martin, K. Axons in Cat Visual Cortex are Topologically Self-similar., Cerebral Cortex, 2004
  • Binzegger, T. and Douglas, R. and Martin, K. A quantitative map of the circuit of cat primary visual cortex., Journal of Neuroscience, 24:(39) 8441-53, 2004
  • Douglas, R. and Martin, K. Neuronal Circuits of the Neocortex, Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27: 419-51, 2004
  • Einhäuser, W. and Martin, K.A.C and König, P. Are switches in perception of the Necker cube related to eye-position?, European Journal of Neuroscience, 20:(10) 2811-2818, 2004
  • Martin, KAC Paul du Toit. A Painter's Journey, 2004

2003

  • Anderson, JC and Binzegger, T and Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC Chance or design: Some specific considerations concerning synaptic boutons in cat visual cortex, Journal of Neurocytology, 31: 211-229, 2003
  • DeFelipe, J and Elston, GN and Fujita, I and Fuster, J and Harrison, KH and Hof, PR and Kawaguchi, Y and Martin, KA and Rockland, KS and Thomson, AM and Wang, SS and White, EL and Yuste, R Neocortical circuits: evolutionary aspects and specificity versus non-specificity of synaptic connections. Remarks, main conclusions and general comments and discussion, Journal of Neurocytology, 31: 387-416, 2003
  • Martin, K. Making your mind up, Nature, 423: 383-384, 2003
  • Martin, K.A.C. Scanning Shakespeare, Nature, 424: 254-255, 2003
  • Douglas, RJ and Markram, H and Martin, KAC Neocortex, The synaptic organization of the brain 499-558, 2003
  • Douglas, RJ and Martin, KAC Artificial Brains, Neuroscience: Science of the Brain, 2003
  • Martin, K.A.C. Vision, in my view, Interventionen 12 'Person/Schauplatz' 137-160, 2003

2002

2001

  • Anderson, JC and Martin, KAC Does bouton morphology optimize axon length?, Nature Neuroscience, 4:(12) 1166-1167, 2001

2000

  • Latawiec, Diane and Martin, Kevan A.C. and Meskenaite, Virginia Termination of the GeniculocorticalProjection in the Striate Cortex of Macaque Monkey A Quantitative Immunoelectron microscopy Study, Journal of Comparative Neurology, 419: 306-319, 2000

1999

  • Anderson, J.A. and Binzegger, T. and Kahana, O. and Martin, K.A.C. and Segev, I. Dendritic asymmetry cannot account for directional responses of neurons in visual cortex, Nature Neuroscience, 2:(9) 820-824 , 1999
  • Douglas, R.J. and Koch, C. and Mahowald, M.A. and Martin, K.A.C. Recurrent excitation in neocortical circuits, Cerebral Cortex, :, 1999

1998

  • Ahmed, B. and Anderson, J. C. and Douglas, R. J. and Martin, K. A. C. and Whitteridge, D. Estimates of the net excitatory currents evoked by visual stimulation of identified neurons in cat visual cortex., Cerebral Cortex, 8(5): 462-76, 1998
  • Anderson, J. C. and Binzegger, T. and Martin, K. A. C. and Rockland, K. S. The connection from cortical area V1 to V5: a light and electron microscopic study, Journal of Neuroscience, 18(24): 10525-40, 1998
  • Douglas, R.J. and Martin, K.A.C. Neocortex, The synaptic organization of the brain 459-509, 1998
  • Tarczy-Hornoch, K. and Martin, K.A.C. and Stratford, K.J. Synaptic interactions between smooth and spiny neurones in layer 4 of cat visual cortex \it in vitro, Journal of Physiology, 508: 351-363, 1998

1997

  • Ahmed, B. and Allison, J.D. and Douglas, R.J. and Martin, K.A.C. An intracellular study of contrast-dependence of neuronal activity in cat visual cortex., Cerebral Cortex, 7: 559-570, 1997
  • Ahmed, B. and Anderson, J. C. and Martin, K. A. C. and Nelson, J. C. A Map of the synapses onto layer 4 basket cells of the primary visual cortex of the cat., Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 380(2): 230-42, 1997
  • Schindler, K.A. and Bernasconi, C.A. and Stoop, R. and Goodman, P.H. and Douglas, R.J. and Martin, K.A.C Irregular Spike Patterns Produced by Periodic Inhibition of Regularly Firing Rat Neocortical Neurons, Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 23: 397.5, 1997

1996

  • Ahmed, B. and Anderson, J. C. and Douglas, R. J. and Martin, K. A. C. and Nelson, J. C. The inhibitory innervation of spiny stellate cells of layer 4 of the cat visual cortex., Journal of Physiology, 495: 61P, 1996
  • Ahmed, B. and Anderson, J.C. and Douglas, R.J. and Martin, K. A. C. and Nelson, J. C. Estimates of the major excitatory innervation on apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramids within layer 4 of cat visual cortex., Journal of Physiology, 494: 15P, 1996
  • Allison, J.D. and Ahmed, B. and Anderson, J.C. and Douglas, R.J. and Martin, K.A.C. Contrast gain control in neurons of the cat primary visual cortex: input-output analysis, Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 22: 1705, 1996
  • Douglas, R. and Martin, K.A.C. News & Views: The Information Superflyway, Neuropsychologia, 379: 584-585, 1996
  • Douglas, R.J. and Mahowald, M.A. and Martin, K.A.C. Microarchitecture of Neocortical Columns., Brain theory - biological basis and computational principles. 75-95, 1996
  • Douglas, R.J. and Mahowald, M.A. and Martin, K.A.C. Neuroinformatics as explanatory neuroscience., Neuroimage, 4: 25-28, 1996
  • Douglas, R.J. and Mahowald, M.A. and Martin, K.A.C. and Stratford, K.J. The role of synapses in cortical computation., Journal of Neurocytology, 25: 893-911, 1996
  • Stratford, K.J. and Tarczy-Hornoch, K. and Martin, K.A.C. and Bannister, N.J. and Jack, J.J.B. Excitatory synaptic inputs to spiny stellate cells in cat visual cortex., Neuropsychologia, 382:(6588) 258-261, 1996

1995

  • Douglas, R. and Martin, K.A.C. Vibrations in the memory, Neuropsychologia, 373: 563-564, 1995
  • Douglas, R. J. and Koch, C. K. and Mahowald, M. and Martin, K. A. C. and Suarez, H. H. Recurrent Excitation in Neocortical Circuits, Science, 269: 981-985, 1995

1994

  • Douglas, R. J. and Mahowald, M. A. and Martin, K. A. C. Hybrid analog-digital architectures for neuromorphic systems, Neural Networks, 1994 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence, 3: 1848-1853, 1994
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