Rasmus Petersen is a lecturer in the Systems Neuroscience Group at Manchester University and leader of the Computational Neuroscience research team in Manchester's Neuroscience Research Institute. His laboratory combines experimental neuroscience techniques (in vivo electrophysiology) with computational neuroscience and is focussed on the barrel cortex as an experimental model for attempting to "decode the brain". Research methods include multi-microelectrode arrays and the application of advanced neuroinformatics spike train analysis methods. Recent publications include Petersen et al (2008) 'Diverse and temporally precise kinetic feature selectivity in the VPm thalmic nucleus' Neuron 60: 890-903.