Project description
Exploring neural mechanisms of socially mediated learning
Adapting behaviour is essential for social animals, as social cues help them navigate their environment. They learn to associate sensory cues with significant events through mediated learning (ML). Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SocialLearn project will investigate the neural mechanisms underlying higher-order conditioning using social cues, focusing on the hippocampus (HPC) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and their roles in socially induced ML. The project will develop new conditioning paradigms that use social cues as unconditioned stimuli to study ML in social contexts. It will also examine how different cell types in the HPC and BLA encode these associations using dual-colour, dual-site fibre photometry.
Objective
Adapting behavior based on context and past experiences is crucial for social animals. Social cues are key in this process as they help animals learn about their environment in relation to other members of their species. Animals learn to associate sensory cues (conditioned stimuli, CS), such as sounds or lights, with salient stimuli (unconditioned stimuli, US) through higher-order conditioning, also known as mediated learning (ML). Recent studies have implicated two brain areas, the hippocampus (HPC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA), in ML. However, how these areas contribute to socially induced ML and which specific cell types are involved remains unknown. The SocialLearn project aims to systematically investigate the neural mechanisms underlying higher-order conditioning using social cues. Specifically, the project will focus on the HPC and BLA and their roles in socially induced ML. I will develop novel higher-order conditioning paradigms that incorporate social cues as unconditioned stimuli, enabling the study of ML in social contexts. Next, I will examine how different cell types in the HPC and BLA encode social higher-order associations by using dual-color, dual-site fiber photometry to record neural activity. Finally, I will manipulate excitatory and inhibitory neurons in these regions to determine their roles in the formation and expression of ML. This approach, combined with unsupervised behavioral analysis, will allow me to investigate ML in social settings, reveal the activity patterns of specific neuronal populations in the HPC and BLA, and clarify their roles in this complex cognitive process. If successful, the project will provide new tools for studying higher-order conditioning in social contexts, deepen our understanding of how social experiences shape behavior, and offer insights into psychotic-like experiences. SocialLearn will also help me develop critical scientific and leadership skills, preparing me for future research leadership roles.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08003 Barcelona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.