Stefan Rogers-Coltman
PhD Student
I am a systems neuroscientist studying how midbrain circuits transform sensory information into spatially organised movement and decision-making, with a particular focus on the superior colliculus. I completed my PhD in the Tripodi lab, where I developed a multidisciplinary research programme centred on understanding how egocentric space and action selection are represented and implemented in the mouse brain. I am now continuing this project as a postdoctoral researcher.
My work combines in vivo extracellular electrophysiology, optogenetic and genetic approaches, and the design of custom behavioural tasks that prioritise naturalistic, head-free behaviour. I am closely involved in all stages of the experimental pipeline, from engineering and task control through animal training and neural recording to data processing and analysis.
Conceptually, I am interested in movement as a decision process embedded in continuous space, where perception, attention, and motor preparation are inseparable. I place particular value on experimental designs that are mechanically simple but biologically revealing. My broader aim is to contribute to a more integrated understanding of how midbrain circuits support flexible, spatially organised behaviour.
Outside the laboratory, I also emphasise spatial awareness and precise motor control, spending my time doing wakeboarding, springboard diving, sailing, and yoga.
