In collaboration with American colleagues, Oula Puonti will seek to map the lateral prefrontal cortex, which is part of the brain’s outer layer – the cortex.

The cortex is made up of six layers. In order to be able to understand functions performed in the lateral prefrontal cortex, which is involved in a range of executive tasks such as planning and short-term memory, it is essential to understand the neural connections within – and between – these layers in detail.

By studying the brain tissue of deceased individuals, Oula Puonti seeks to construct a detailed model of the lateral prefrontal cortex. The model will be used to improve the precision of the interpretation of MRI scans in patients, and thus to increase the chances of detecting early signs of disease.