Yuri Saalmann

Research Area(s)
Biology of Brain and Behavior
Perception, Cognition, and Cognitive Neuroscience

Lab Website
Saalmann Lab

Research Interests

The research goals of my lab are:

1. To show how neural dynamics enable cognitive control, including selective attention, rule-guided behavior, mental set shifting and memory processes.
2. To characterize the neural correlates of consciousness, including how information processing differs between conscious, anesthetized and sleep states.

We combine neuroimaging and electrophysiology to pursue these goals. We map brain networks using functional MRI and diffusion MRI. Next, we simultaneously record neural activity from interconnected network sites in behaving macaques (single-units, local field potentials) and human subjects (intracranial EEG). Finally, we use neuromodulation (cortical and deep brain stimulation) to manipulate network activity and behavior. Our focus is on interactions between neurons in the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus.

The significance of this research is that it advances our understanding of fundamental cognitive processes, particularly how information is coded and flexibly transmitted in brain networks. Disruption of brain networks lies at the heart of many disorders, e.g., schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and coma. Our research is an essential step towards effectively treating such disorders.

Representative Publications

Phillips JM, Afrasiabi M*, Kambi NA*, Redinbaugh MJ, Steely S, Johnson ER, Cheng X, Fayyad M, Caris A, Mohanta S, Mikell CB, Mofakham S, Saalmann YB (2025) Primate thalamic nuclei select abstract rules and shape prefrontal dynamics. Neuron 113: 2014-2027 (*denotes equal contributions).

Major AJ*, Abdaltawab A*, Phillips JM, Wang T, Lee EK, Lichtenfeld MJ, Chandrasekaran C, Saalmann YB, Maier A, Desimone R**, Miller EK**, Bastos AM**, Mendoza-Halliday D** (2025) A ubiquitous spectrolaminar motif across independent studies. Nature Neuroscience 29: 284-286 (denotes equal first* and senior** author contributions).

Whyte CJ*, Redinbaugh MJ*, Shine JM*, Saalmann YB* (2024) Thalamic contributions to the state and contents of consciousness. Neuron 112: 1611-1625 (*denotes equal contributions).

Müller RJ, Munn BR, Redinbaugh MJ, Lizier J, Breakspear M, Saalmann YB, Shine JM (2023) The non-specific matrix thalamus facilitates the cortical information processing modes relevant for conscious awareness. Cell Reports 42: 112844.

Mohanta S, Afrasiabi M, Casey C, Tanabe S, Redinbaugh MJ, Kambi NA, Phillips JM, Polyakov D, Filbey W, Austerweil JL, Sanders RD, Saalmann YB (2021) Predictive feedback, early sensory representations and fast responses to predicted stimuli depend on NMDA receptors. Journal of Neuroscience 41: 10130-10147.

Afrasiabi M, Redinbaugh MJ, Phillips JM, Kambi NA, Mohanta S, Raz A, Haun AM, Saalmann YB (2021) Integrated network of parietal cortex, striatum and thalamus predicts level of consciousness. Cell Systems 12: 363-373.

Redinbaugh MJ, Phillips JM, Kambi NA, Mohanta S, Andryk S, Dooley GL, Afrasiabi M, Raz A, Saalmann YB (2020) Thalamus modulates consciousness via layer-specific control of cortex. Neuron 106: 66-75.

Phillips JM*, Kambi NA*, Saalmann YB (2016) A subcortical pathway for rapid, goal-driven, attentional filtering.  Trends in Neurosciences 39: 49-51 (*equal contributions).

Szczepanski SM, Pinsk MA, Douglas MM, Kastner S, Saalmann YB (2013) Functional and structural architecture of the human dorsal frontoparietal attention network. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 110: 15806-15811.

Fiebelkorn IC, Saalmann YB, Kastner S (2013) Rhythmic sampling within and between objects despite sustained attention at a cued location. Current Biology 23: 2553-2558.

Wang L*, Saalmann YB*, Pinsk MA, Arcaro MJ, Kastner S (2012) Electrophysiological low-frequency coherence and cross-frequency coupling contributes to BOLD connectivity. Neuron 76: 1010-1020 (*equal contributions).

Saalmann YB, Pinsk MA, Wang L, Li X, Kastner S (2012) The pulvinar regulates information transmission between cortical areas based on attention demands. Science 337: 753-756.

Saalmann YB, Kastner S (2011) Cognitive and perceptual functions of the visual thalamus. Neuron 71: 209-223.

Saalmann YB, Kastner S (2009) Gain control in the visual thalamus during perception and cognition. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 19: 408-414.

Saalmann YB, Pigarev IN, Vidyasagar TR (2007) Neural mechanisms of visual attention: how top-down feedback highlights relevant locations. Science 316: 1612-1615.