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Gabriel Koch Ocker

Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University
ude [tod] ub [ta] rekcokg
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I work in theoretical neuroscience, studying structure-function relations in neuronal network models. How does neural activity encode sensory information and drive behavior? How do neural circuits evolve, learn, and adapt to shape that activity? How does that connectivity shape activity, and what computations does that activity perform? My group studies models of neural circuits, often using tools drawn from dynamical systems, stochastic processes and statistical physics. We also test the predictions of these models in neural data, working with experimental collaborators.

Publications

G. K. Ocker. Dynamics of Stochastic Integrate-and-Fire Networks. Physical Review X, 12(4):041007, Oct. 2022. Publisher: American Physical Society. [ bib | journal ]

J. H. Siegle, P. Ledochowitsch, X. Jia, D. J. Millman, G. K. Ocker, S. Caldejon, L. Casal, A. Cho, D. J. Denman, S. Durand, P. A. Groblewski, G. Heller, I. Kato, S. Kivikas, J. Lecoq, C. Nayan, K. Ngo, P. R. Nicovich, K. North, T. K. Ramirez, J. Swapp, X. Waughman, A. Williford, S. R. Olsen, C. Koch, M. A. Buice, and S. E. de Vries. Reconciling functional differences in populations of neurons recorded with two-photon imaging and electrophysiology. eLife, 10:e69068, July 2021. Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd. [ bib | journal ]

D. Dahmen, S. Recanatesi, X. Jia, G. K. Ocker, L. Campagnola, T. Jarsky, S. Seeman, M. Helias, and E. Shea-Brown. Strong and localized coupling controls dimensionality of neural activity across brain areas. Technical report, Apr. 2021. Company: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Distributor: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Label: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Section: New Results Type: article. [ bib | journal ]

J. H. Siegle, X. Jia, S. Durand, S. Gale, C. Bennett, N. Graddis, G. Heller, T. K. Ramirez, H. Choi, J. A. Luviano, P. A. Groblewski, R. Ahmed, A. Arkhipov, A. Bernard, Y. N. Billeh, D. Brown, M. A. Buice, N. Cain, S. Caldejon, L. Casal, A. Cho, M. Chvilicek, T. C. Cox, K. Dai, D. J. Denman, S. E. J. de Vries, R. Dietzman, L. Esposito, C. Farrell, D. Feng, J. Galbraith, M. Garrett, E. C. Gelfand, N. Hancock, J. A. Harris, R. Howard, B. Hu, R. Hytnen, R. Iyer, E. Jessett, K. Johnson, I. Kato, J. Kiggins, S. Lambert, J. Lecoq, P. Ledochowitsch, J. H. Lee, A. Leon, Y. Li, E. Liang, F. Long, K. Mace, J. Melchior, D. Millman, T. Mollenkopf, C. Nayan, L. Ng, K. Ngo, T. Nguyen, P. R. Nicovich, K. North, G. K. Ocker, D. Ollerenshaw, M. Oliver, M. Pachitariu, J. Perkins, M. Reding, D. Reid, M. Robertson, K. Ronellenfitch, S. Seid, C. Slaughterbeck, M. Stoecklin, D. Sullivan, B. Sutton, J. Swapp, C. Thompson, K. Turner, W. Wakeman, J. D. Whitesell, D. Williams, A. Williford, R. Young, H. Zeng, S. Naylor, J. W. Phillips, R. C. Reid, S. Mihalas, S. R. Olsen, and C. Koch. Survey of spiking in the mouse visual system reveals functional hierarchy. Nature, pages 1-7, Jan. 2021. Publisher: Nature Publishing Group. [ bib | journal ]

G. Ocker and M. Buice. Tensor decompositions of higher-order correlations by nonlinear Hebbian plasticity. In Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, volume 34, pages 11326-11339. Curran Associates, Inc., 2021. [ bib | journal ]

D. J. Millman, G. K. Ocker, S. Caldejon, I. Kato, J. D. Larkin, E. K. Lee, J. Luviano, C. Nayan, T. V. Nguyen, K. North, S. Seid, C. White, J. Lecoq, C. Reid, M. A. Buice, and S. E. de Vries. VIP interneurons in mouse primary visual cortex selectively enhance responses to weak but specific stimuli. eLife, 9:e55130, Oct. 2020. Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker and M. A. Buice. Flexible neural connectivity under constraints on total connection strength. PLOS Computational Biology, 16(8):e1008080, Aug. 2020. Publisher: Public Library of Science. [ bib | journal ]

S. E. J. de Vries, J. A. Lecoq, M. A. Buice, P. A. Groblewski, G. K. Ocker, M. Oliver, D. Feng, N. Cain, P. Ledochowitsch, D. Millman, K. Roll, M. Garrett, T. Keenan, L. Kuan, S. Mihalas, S. Olsen, C. Thompson, W. Wakeman, J. Waters, D. Williams, C. Barber, N. Berbesque, B. Blanchard, N. Bowles, S. D. Caldejon, L. Casal, A. Cho, S. Cross, C. Dang, T. Dolbeare, M. Edwards, J. Galbraith, N. Gaudreault, T. L. Gilbert, F. Griffin, P. Hargrave, R. Howard, L. Huang, S. Jewell, N. Keller, U. Knoblich, J. D. Larkin, R. Larsen, C. Lau, E. Lee, F. Lee, A. Leon, L. Li, F. Long, J. Luviano, K. Mace, T. Nguyen, J. Perkins, M. Robertson, S. Seid, E. Shea-Brown, J. Shi, N. Sjoquist, C. Slaughterbeck, D. Sullivan, R. Valenza, C. White, A. Williford, D. M. Witten, J. Zhuang, H. Zeng, C. Farrell, L. Ng, A. Bernard, J. W. Phillips, R. C. Reid, and C. Koch. A large-scale standardized physiological survey reveals functional organization of the mouse visual cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 23(1):138-151, Jan. 2020. Number: 1 Publisher: Nature Publishing Group. [ bib | journal ]

D. Linaro, G. K. Ocker, B. Doiron, and M. Giugliano. Correlation Transfer by Layer 5 Cortical Neurons Under Recreated Synaptic Inputs In Vitro. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(39):7648-7663, Sept. 2019. [ bib | journal ]

S. Recanatesi, G. K. Ocker, M. A. Buice, and E. Shea-Brown. Dimensionality in recurrent spiking networks: Global trends in activity and local origins in connectivity. PLOS Computational Biology, 15(7):e1006446, July 2019. Publisher: Public Library of Science. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker and B. Doiron. Training and Spontaneous Reinforcement of Neuronal Assemblies by Spike Timing Plasticity. Cerebral Cortex, Feb. 2018. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker, Y. Hu, M. A. Buice, B. Doiron, K. Josić, R. Rosenbaum, and E. Shea-Brown. From the statistics of connectivity to the statistics of spike times in neuronal networks. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 46:109-119, Oct. 2017. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker, K. Josić, E. Shea-Brown, and M. A. Buice. Linking structure and activity in nonlinear spiking networks. PLOS Computational Biology, 13(6):e1005583, June 2017. [ bib | journal ]

T. Kanashiro, G. K. Ocker, M. R. Cohen, and B. Doiron. Attentional modulation of neuronal variability in circuit models of cortex. eLife, 6:e23978, June 2017. [ bib | journal ]

B. Doiron, A. Litwin-Kumar, R. Rosenbaum, G. K. Ocker, and K. Josić. The mechanics of state-dependent neural correlations. Nature Neuroscience, 19(3):383-393, Mar. 2016. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker, A. Litwin-Kumar, and B. Doiron. Self-Organization of Microcircuits in Networks of Spiking Neurons with Plastic Synapses. PLoS Comput Biol, 11(8):e1004458, Aug. 2015. [ bib | journal ]

G. K. Ocker and B. Doiron. Kv7 channels regulate pairwise spiking covariability in health and disease. Journal of Neurophysiology, 112(2):340-352, July 2014. [ bib | journal ]

J. S. Coggan, G. K. Ocker, T. J. Sejnowski, and S. A. Prescott. Explaining pathological changes in axonal excitability through dynamical analysis of conductance-based models. Journal of Neural Engineering, 8(6):065002, Dec. 2011. [ bib | journal ]


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Teaching

Spring 2023, MA 562: Methods of Applied Mathematics 2.

Fall 2022, MA 561: Methods of Applied Mathematics 1.

Spring 2022, NE 204: Introduction to computational models fo brain and behavior.

Fall 2021, MA 861: Applied Math Seminar (Current topics in theoretical neuroscience).

Spring 2021, NE 204: Introduction to computational models of brain and behavior.

Fall 2020, MA 861: Applied Math Seminar (Current topics in theoretical neuroscience).

People

Caitlin Lienkaemper (Postdoc, Center for Systems Neuroscience)

Marcus Blackburn (BME MS, next: machine learning engineer, Advent Health Partners)