The Distribution and Origin of Spatial Coding across the Brain

Descripción del proyecto

Comprender la manera en que el encéfalo nos ayuda a desplazarnos por nuestro entorno

Los animales tienen la capacidad única de integrar distintos estímulos sensoriales para desplazarse por su entorno, lo cual les permite llevar a cabo distintas tareas cotidianas. Los datos más recientes indican que el hipocampo no solo actúa como un centro fundamental del procesamiento de la memoria, sino que también desempeña un papel crítico en la codificación espacial. SpaceCode es un proyecto financiado con fondos europeos que busca determinar la interacción en el encéfalo entre los estímulos sensoriales y espaciales. Sus investigadores llevarán a cabo experimentos de navegación virtual con ratones y registrarán las señales neuronales a lo largo de distintas regiones encefálicas. El objetivo fundamental es comprender la manera en que las neuronas codifican el espacio y qué áreas del encéfalo participan en la navegación espacial.

Objetivo

This project will investigate the distribution and origin of spatial coding by recording from large populations of neurons across the brain, using next-generation electrodes developed by the host laboratory. Spatial navigation is a goal-directed task that animals perform daily, and its signals engage a variety of brain systems beyond classical navigational centers such as the hippocampus. I have three aims: (1) to characterize the distribution of spatial signals across the mouse brain, with a focus on sensory regions; (2) to understand how spatial signals interact with sensory signals; (3) to establish whether the spatial signals originate in the hippocampus. The experiments will be performed in mice that navigate virtual environments and will involve next-generation Neuropixels 2.0 probes, capable of recording from hundreds of neurons at a time. First, I will record activity from large populations of neurons across multiple brain regions during virtual navigation and define the interaction of sensory and spatial signals in sensory cortex. Then I will test whether the hippocampus is necessary for spatial coding in visual cortex by manipulating its activity with chemogenetics in transgenic mice. These experiments will provide the first large-scale view of spatial coding across the mouse brain, characterizing the distribution of spatial signals, their computational role, and their causal origin.

I will perform these experiments in the Cortical Processing Laboratory at University College London, led by Professors Matteo Carandini and Kenneth Harris. I am confident I can further develop my skills as an independent researcher while answering exciting scientific questions. Professors Carandini and Harris are experts in conducting large-scale neuronal recordings in mice performing complex behavioral tasks as well as analytical techniques to process large data sets. I am experienced in systems neuroscience techniques and studying goal-directed behavior in mice.