University of California-San Diego · PhysicsRhythmic Control Lab
David Kleinfeld · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. David Kleinfeld's lab at UC San Diego studies how the brain controls movements involved in vital activities like breathing and eating. They focus on understanding the neuronal circuits that coordinate these actions, particularly looking at how rhythmic behaviors like licking and chewing are regulated. The research integrates experimental work with computational modeling to uncover the mechanisms that allow for flexible and precise motor control.
brain circuitsmotor controlneuronal oscillatorsrhythmic behaviorchewinglickingbreathingfeedback signalsexperimental neurosciencecomputational modeling
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify neuronal circuits controlling orofacial motor actions.
AIM 02Analyze feedback mechanisms in the regulation of rhythmic motor behaviors.
AIM 03Develop models to illustrate the biomechanics of the tongue and its innervation.
AIM 04Investigate how cortical signals modulate feeding actions.
AIM 05Explore the potential existence of a second oscillator in the brainstem for rhythmic actions.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologyanatomical tracingmolecular identification techniquesbiomechanical modelinganimal behavior studiessignal recording and perturbationdata analysismicroscopy techniquescomputational modelingtechniques in motor control research
Output against the department
Publications335top 23% of dept.5th of 22
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations27ktop 14% of dept.3rd of 22
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.