What first attracted you to the area of visual neuroscience and why is it important?
When I started in neuroscience in the 1990s, the visual cortex was the best-understood part of the cerebral cortex – the most developed part of the human brain. It was where some of the most advanced models of brain function were being pioneered. These models, often based on simple but powerful equations, naturally appealed to my background in mathematics. And when I began recording the activity of neurons, it seemed like magic: we would shine a stimulus in front of the eyes, and the neurons in the visual cortex would spring to life. It still feels magical, 35 years later. Moreover, the principles uncovered in visual cortex research ended up being useful in many fields. For instance, they form the basis of the "artificial neural networks" that allow computers to 'see' and recognise images today.
Can you tell us about your work at the Cortexlab?
The Cortexlab is a joint enterprise of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. It was born from a confluence of fortunate factors: a budding collaboration between Professor Kenneth Harris and myself; generous funding that encouraged collaborations (notably from the Wellcome Trust); and a visionary approach by the Faculties of Brain Sciences and Medical Sciences, which together provided a space for our research in the midst of UCL, in the historic Cruciform Building. In this space, Kenneth and I have assembled a 'dream team' of scientists and technical staff, who apply a combination of cutting-edge experiments and data-driven computational approaches to understand how vast populations of neurons in the mouse brain lead to sensation (mostly visual, but not only), perception, and action.
What aspect of your work most excites you and why?
Without a doubt, the most exciting aspect of my work is the interaction with our talented students and postdocs. I am a bit jealous of them because they are at the forefront of new experimental techniques and data analysis – skills I once had, but methods evolve rapidly! Their discoveries are genuinely surprising. They indicate that while some aspects of brain function – such as vision – are localised, other aspects – such as correlates of brain state, body movement, and even navigation around the environment – seem to be represented across the whole brain. We are still working to understand the full implications of this.
What would you say to someone who is considering whether to study at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology?
Go for it! The eye acts as a magnet for so many disciplines. It is arguably the best understood part of the brain, so it attracts neuroscientists. And its diseases involve cellular and physiological changes that are central to multiple pathologies that affect other body parts, while being more accessible for investigation and therapy. And the genetic and technological approaches that are being developed to restore vision are among the most advanced in any branch of medicine. At the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, one can therefore meet some of the best experts in a variety of disciplines, who come together to understand vision and cure eye disease from multiple angles.
What’s the best advice you would give your younger self?
To seek out mentors or experienced individuals for advice and to talk to them, even if not necessarily to follow their advice. A career in science requires a lot of decisions. Mine perhaps were a bit unusual (for instance, I changed country four times). There were few examples around me of people who had made similar choices, but I didn't even try to find them and ask their opinion. It might have been useful to hear some advice. Maybe I would have taken the same decisions, but with more confidence. For the same reason, perhaps it might have been helpful to keep a diary -- it’s like giving advice to one's later self and reflecting on the journey.
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Studying at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Find out moreBiography
Professor Matteo Carandini graduated in Mathematics from the University of Rome in 1990 and received his PhD in Neural Science from New York University in 1996. Following postdoctoral research at Northwestern University, he established his first laboratory at ETH Zurich in 1998. He then moved his lab to the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco in 2002, before joining UCL in 2008. Here, he co-directs the Cortexlab with Professor Kenneth Harris. Their joint laboratory focuses on the computations performed by populations of neurons across the brain, the underlying circuits, and the resulting behaviours. They also help develop next-generation Neuropixels probes to read and write brain activity, and collaborate with the International Brain Laboratory to map brain-wide activity during visual behavior. Professor Carandini was recently elected to the Academia Europaea (2024) and to the Royal Society (2025).