Outstanding questions we seek to address

• How does the activity across the hippocampus lead to the formation of a new memory?

• Do active dendritic signals participate in the formation of a new memory?

• Are changes in synaptic strength the physical substrate of memory storage?

• How does inhibition, neuromodulation and glial cell activity contribute to memory formation?

• How do the above mechanisms contribute to memory recall?

• How do neural circuits change as memories are altered following memory recall?

• How does time effect the underlying neural circuitry of a memory?

 Research Methods We Employ

• Behavior in immersive virtual reality worlds

• DREADD technology for specific circuit manipulations

• Computational models to further understand the neural data we collect, which generates new, testable hypotheses

• The VR-CFC method to perform CFC in headfixed mice navigating virtual environments

• In vivo 2-photon functional imaging of large populations of neurons 

• In vivo 2-photon functional imaging of dendrites, spines and axons

• 1-photon optogenetic stimulation and inhibition of genetically defined neurons

• 2-photon optogenetic stimulation and inhibition of experimenter defined neurons and dendrites