Our research aims to understand the neural basis of visual perception. Visual perception relies on the coordinated activity of populations of neurons in the cerebral cortex. These neurons are connected in a highly structured way, forming local cortical circuits. We seek to understand cortical circuit function, and to relate activity in cortical circuits to perception and behavior. Current work in our lab focuses on mechanisms by which behavioral context can shape activity in early visual cortex. We study these mechanisms in the mouse brain, using a combination of macroscopic optical imaging and multielectrode recordings.