Event:

My research interests focus on the formation and function of neural circuits involved in sensory processing and behavior. My laboratory employs (opto)genetic, in vivo imaging, computational and behavioral approaches to determine the functional properties of neural circuits in the mouse olfactory system. We aim to reveal fundamental genetic mechanisms of cortical neural circuit assembly, to determine neural circuit functions in sensory information processing, and to understand how network plasticity can mediate learning and memory.
The olfactory (piriform) cortex is the main target of olfactory bulb mitral and tufted cells and plays key functions in odor perception and memory. To begin to understand principles of odor coding in piriform neural networks we have recorded, using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in mice, odor-evoked activity from large ensembles of piriform neurons. We find that odor identity can accurately be decoded from spatially distributed neural activity, and that subnetworks of piriform neurons reliably encode odor identity across a wide range of odor intensities. Furthermore, we have used laser-capture micro-dissection and RNA deep sequencing to identify genes selectively expressed in subpopulations of the piriform neurons. These genes provide molecular signatures of piriform cell type identity and connectivity. Together, our experiments provide new insights into information coding and routing in cortical areas of olfaction.