The Distribution and Origin of Spatial Coding across the Brain

Descrizione del progetto

Comprendere come il cervello ci aiuta a navigare nel nostro spazio

Gli animali hanno la capacità unica di integrare diversi input sensoriali per navigare nel loro spazio, il che consente loro di svolgere diverse attività quotidiane. Prove emergenti indicano che l’ippocampo non serve solo come centro critico per l’elaborazione dei ricordi, ma ha anche un ruolo fondamentale nello spazio di codifica. SpaceCode è un progetto finanziato dall’UE che si propone di determinare il modo in cui i segnali sensoriali e spaziali interagiscono nel cervello. I ricercatori eseguiranno esperimenti di navigazione virtuale nei topi, registrando i segnali neuronali in più regioni del cervello. L’obiettivo principale è comprendere come i neuroni codificano lo spazio e quali aree del cervello sono coinvolte nella navigazione spaziale.

Obiettivo

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.