Abstract

All brain function arises from activity flowing through specific cells and circuits. Pyramidal neurons have historically been considered homogeneous regional classes, yet mounting evidence shows striking heterogeneity in cell properties, wiring, and projections, that will dictate their circuit processing abilities. With the current explosion in datasets of in vivo neural activity, untangling the complexity of neuronal coding is more necessary than ever.

The symposium aims to draw attention to the importance of cell heterogeneity in understanding circuit function. It interweaves distinct lines of research, each exploring a unique view on pyramidal cell diversity, to present a palette of subtype-specific properties defining circuit function. Menno Witter has a career of exquisite neuroanatomical research showing how projection specificity can determine neuronal function, Jake Watson has described microcircuit properties of pyramidal neuron subtypes in rodent and human tissue, while Judit Makara has extensively explored how distinct subcellular properties can drive subtype-specific forms of information processing.