To successfully navigate uncertain environments, we need an algorithm for exploration: a way to ensure that we sample policies whose value is uncertain. We also need a mechanism to reliably follow rewarding policies we discover: a system for exploitation. Understanding how exploration and exploitation are implemented in the brain is a major topic of research in decision-making neuroscience, with several studies pointing to pupil-linked mechanisms. However, these studies relied on ad hoc applications of reinforcement learning models that were not designed to identify exploration. As a result, it is still not clear whether pupil-linked mechanisms predict exploratory behavior per se, much less its neural signatures. Here we applied a novel approach that models exploration and exploitation as latent goal states generating decisions. This allowed us to contrast model-labelled explore and exploit decisions in terms of both (1) pupil size and (2) neural activity recorded in the frontal eye fields (FEF), a part of the prefrontal cortex implicated in sensorimotor decision-making. We found that pupil size was larger during exploration and ramped up in anticipation of exploration. Then, it abruptly decreased below baseline levels at the start of exploitation. Concurrently, pupil size predicted neural signatures of exploration in FEF neurons and neuronal populations. In sum, we found that pupil-linked processes anticipate exploration via disruption of neuronal tuning. Further research will be necessary to identify how exactly pupil-linked mechanism influence exploration.

Pupil size anticipates exploration and predicts disorganization in prefrontal cortex

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PS-3-F -  Cognition and Behavior

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Colleagues and Friends:

I am very happy to welcome you to the 14th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, and to the first virtual edition of our meeting. I want to highlight the important work the CAN meeting chair, **Roger Thompson** and co-chair, **Alyson Fournier**, did to put together the great program we are offering this year. Moving to a virtual format required a complete re-design of the program, and both Roger and Alyson did a splendid job in providing us with an appealing and well adapted program for our first virtual event. I wish to thank them for this very important effort.

Highlights of this year’s scientific meeting include invited speakers **Michael Hausser, Franck Polleux, Gwyneth Card, Magdalena Götz**and Brain Prize winner **Huda Zoghbi**. Plenary and parallel symposia, proposed by our members complete our diverse [scientific program.](https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/program-2021/)

The 2021 Advocacy session, chaired and organized by CAN advocacy committee chair **Karun Singh**, will feature a special lecture and question period with Member of Parliament and past Science Minister **Kirsty Duncan**. This will be followed by a short overview of CAN’s advocacy activities over the last year. We invite you to participate in this session for insight from Dr. Duncan on the workings of Parliament Hill, and to learn more about what CAN has been doing to promote neuroscience research in Canada.

We are also excited to host **Lisa Willis** in the Equity Diversity and Inclusion session, organized by EDI committee chair **Jibran Khokhar**.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the lectures by award-winning young neuroscientists. We are please to host the CAN 2020 Young Investigator Award winner **Mihaela Iordanova**, and CAN 2021 Young Investigator Award winners **Aaron Phillips** and **Tabrez Siddiqui**. Highlights will also include presentation by the top three winners of the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award winners, **Claire Gizowski, Nuria Daviu Abant** and **Lukas Tamayo-Orrego**.

Independently organized satellite symposia complement and complete this exciting program, check them out here: https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/2021-satellite-symposia/

Some of the most engaging sessions are always the poster sessions featuring the work of our trainees, so make sure to log in to Gather Town during the poster sessions to chat with the presenters.
We hope you enjoy this program, and look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Shernaz Bamji

President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience

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Gabriel Marrocco

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Pupil size anticipates exploration and predicts disorganization in prefrontal cortex

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