Research
What we do
Complex cognitive functions rely on the coordinated activity of neuronal populations, and disruption of neuronal coordination is a hallmark of many cognitive disorders. Our research aims to uncover how neurons in the entorhinal-hippocampal network are temporally organized during learning and memory processes. Our research approach bridges cellular and systems-level neuroscience to uncover how coordinated populations of neurons store, retrieve, and consolidate memories.
How we do it
We perform multisite neurophysiological recordings in memory networks of freely behaving rats. We investigate how single neurons respond to memory-related stimuli, how rhythmic patterns in the local field potential coordinate neuronal spiking during memory operations, and how coordinated populations of neurons code memory representations.
Who we are
We are a team of researchers with different training backgrounds and strengths who aim to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms of learning and memory. Ultimately, our goal is to apply these mechanistic insights to identify new therapeutic targets that enable the development of novel treatments for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders
Projects
How do different types of brain rhythms promote specific memory operations?
Temporal coordination of neuronal activity is critical for brain function. Coordinated ensembles of neurons can encode related information into coherent memories, and temporally aligned activity more effectively activates downstream targets. Identifying the specific mechanisms of neuronal coordination during different brain rhythms is expected to shed light on the brain’s capacity for learning, how memories are formed, and why memory breaks down in cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
How do neurons code social experiences?
We investigate how the brain encodes social information. Our social coding work focuses on understudied regions of the hippocampal network that are well positioned to process social stimuli, such as CA2, the dentate gyrus, and the ventral hippocampus. By studying how different populations of neurons process social stimuli, we aim to uncover how disruptions in social coding contribute to abnormal social behaviors in autism spectrum disorders.