The NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology is building community and expanding research possibilities with the Institute’s Research-In-Progress meetings. This meeting series convenes members of the NSF-Simons NITMB community to an informal venue for discussion of ongoing and planned projects. We are proud to invite a wide variety of scientists and mathematicians to share their work with our community. While Research-In-Progress meetings are only intended for members of the NITMB, we want to publicly spotlight some of the researchers who will be joining us to share insight into their career and work.
Christoph Miehl, HFSP postdoctoral fellow, Brent Doiron group, University of Chicago
Christoph Miehl is a Human Frontier Research Program (HFSP) postdoctoral fellow in the Brent Doiron group in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Chicago. Originally from Austria, Miehl completed his PhD in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research before moving to the United States.
We spoke with Christoph Miehl to explore Miehl’s work with neuronal circuits.
What is your current research area?
“The central question of my research is understanding how networks of interconnected neurons can perform complex computations. How do neuronal circuits give rise to complex behavior in humans and animals? What are the key components of those circuits? How do these components change during learning?”
What disciplines does your research integrate?
“Neuroscience is a highly interdisciplinary field. In my research, I use mathematical tools, numerical simulations of neuronal networks, and analysis of experimental data provided by our collaborators. I work closely together with our experimental colleagues, and I really enjoy these interdisciplinary exchanges.”
Where do you find inspiration?
“Most inspiration for my work comes from discussions with my lab colleagues and collaborators and talking to people at conferences and meetings. Also, I like to read literature outside my direct field.”
What aspects of your research could be interesting to mathematicians or applied to biology?
“In one of my main projects, I study the role of different neuronal cell types in controlling network dynamics. One of the goals is to constrain the connectivity profile of the network (which is hard to measure experimentally in the brain) through perturbations of the network. This question and my approaches might be interesting for other researchers who study complex systems.”
What about the NITMB do you find exciting?
“I strongly believe in the growing need for interdisciplinary research. The NITMB allows me to interact with researchers across biological and mathematical fields who face similar problems, i.e., understanding complex and non-linearly interacting systems. For me personally, NITMB offers an easy way to connect and interact with fellow researchers with similar interests, widening my network and inspiring my own research.”
What career achievement are you most proud of?
“I recently received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Human Frontier Research Program (HFSP), funding my research for three more years. It’s a great opportunity for me to pursue the research directions I am currently most interested in without worrying too much about funding.”
Outside of your research, what other interests do you have?
“As compensation for the hours I spend in front of the computer every day, I like to do all kinds of sports, like biking, tennis, and soccer. I also enjoy the lively art scene in Chicago, which is full of live music, dance, and great museums.”
What are you hoping to work on in the future?
“I am currently at the beginning of new experimental collaborations, where my colleagues work with cutting-edge technology in probing the brain. I am already looking forward to doing research jointly with them. In the future, I hope to continue working on questions related to cortical function, and I am always open to new collaborations with both biologists but also theoreticians with overlapping interests.”
The NITMB looks forward to welcoming Christoph Miehl on Tuesday, September 17th as part of the Research-In-Progress meeting series. More information about Miehl’s work is available on Miehl’s website and on Miehl’s Twitter (X) page.
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