To make adaptive decisions we must cast ourselves into the future and consider the outcomes of our potential choices. This prospective consideration is informed by our memories. I will discuss our lab’s recent work investigating the neural circuits responsible for encoding, updating, and retrieving reward memories for use in the considerations underlying decision making. We have taken a multifaceted approach to these investigations, combining recording, modern circuit dissection, and behavioral tools. Our results are generally indicating that the basolateral amygdala, midbrain, and orbitofrontal cortex work in a circuit to participate in these functions. The cognitive symptoms underlying many psychiatric disorders […]

Speaking is a unique and defining human behavior.  Over the past decade, we have focused on deciphering the basic neural code that underlies our ability to speak fluently. During speech production, vocal tract movement gestures for all speech sounds are encoded by highly specialized neural activity, organized as a map, in the human speech motor cortex.   A major effort is now underway to translate these findings towards building an articulatory-based speech neuroprosthetic device for people who cannot communicate. Zoom option if unable to attend in person: Zoom link here (click on “Join a meeting”) Meeting ID: 99412 188589 Passcode: 188589

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common type of traumatic brain injury globally. Although its consequences may be short term, mTBI often leads to long-term neuropsychiatric and neurological impairments and has been estimated to increase the probability of later life dementia up to six-fold. It is presently not clear what neuropathological changes underlie these deficits. This talk will review our recent studies on the sustained neurogliovascular unit function changes in a murine model of repeated, mild traumatic brain injury. By leveraging two photon fluorescence microscopy, intracerebral electrophysiological recordings, optogenetics, high field magnetic resonance imaging, and light sheet fluorescence […]

In 1973 John Heuser and Tom Reese demonstrated that neurotransmitter was released from neurons via the fusion of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane.  But at the same time, these experiments launched a controversy that is unresolved today – do vesicles collapse into the membrane and are then recycled slowly on the order of 20 seconds? Or do they retain their existence – and reverse the pore in just 1 second, as proposed in ‘kiss and run’ endocytosis?  Since then, molecular pathways for fusion and recycling have been put forward, but the field remains divided.  We have used channelrhodopsin to […]

Dopamine is a neuromodulator that codes information on various time scales. I will discuss recent progress on the identification of fast release mechanisms for dopamine in the mouse striatum. I will present data on triggering mechanisms of dopamine release and evaluate its roles in striatal regulation. In the long-term, our work will allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms and time scales of dopamine coding in health and disease. "Live Screening" in Rudy North Lecture Theatre Zoom details if unable to attend in person: Zoom link here (click on “Join a meeting”) Meeting ID: 99412 188589 Passcode: 188589

Mammals use a sophisticated, multi-regional memory system to guide behavior. A major goal of neuroscience is to understand the mechanisms—ranging from molecular to cellular to systems—that make this possible. Spruston will describe recent results from his lab using mouse behavior, patch-clamp recording, imaging, and RNA-seq, which collectively seek to elucidate how a diverse and complex population of neurons in the hippocampus allow mice to perform sophisticated memory guided behaviors. Zoom option if unable to attend in person Zoom link here (click on “Join a meeting”) Meeting ID: 99412 188589 Passcode: 188589

The Heller Lab research program is focused on discovering molecular mechanisms by which epigenetic reprogramming contributes to neuropsychiatric disease. To this end, Dr. Heller pioneered the use of targeted epigenetic editing in brain, to elucidate the precise causal role of histone posttranslational modifications on gene expression and alternative splicing in specific neuronal subpopulations. Dr. Heller will share recent studies of epigenetic regulation of gene expression and alternative splicing across cocaine abstinence in mice, as well as novel approaches to examine histone modifications in specific neuronal subpopulations. Zoom option if unable to attend in person Zoom link here (click on “Join a meeting”) Meeting […]