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How do memories form in the brain?
How are memories retrieved?
How are memories used to guide complex decision-making?
What happens when memory starts to fail as we age?
These are some of the questions the lab is interested in, we use a variety of approaches to study these topics.
Lifespan Neural Imaging
We use calcium imaging techniques to record from the same neurons in the hippocampus across the whole adult lifespan. We use calcium sensors such as GCaMP alongside 2-photon microscopy to visualize the activity of large numbers of neurons in the brain as animals perform cognitive tasks. Thanks to these unique technologies we are able to identify the same neurons from one session to the next. We are now able to answer unprecedented questions about the long term functioning of neural circuits.
Learning and Navigation
Learning in the real-world is complex: it requires deciding between many sequential options over long time scales. How does the brain achieve these impressive learning feats? In the lab, we aim to design tasks for animals that challenge their learning and navigational abilities. We use computation frameworks such as reinforcement learning and neural networks to design and interpret experiments to uncover and understand the algorithms of learning.
Large-scale Electrophysiology
Using techniques such as Neuropixels and wireless data recording, we capture millisecond-precision neural activity from large numbers of neurons in freely behaving animals. This approach lets us see the fast dynamics of hippocampal circuits during navigation, decision-making, and memory retrieval.
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