How do we acquire new skills? How do we optimize previously acquired behaviors?

Our systems neuroscience lab studies the neuronal correlates of learning and attention. We are particularly interested in understanding the roles of catecholamines – noradrenaline and dopamine – in learned behaviors. Our main objectives are to determine when catecholaminergic neurons are active during learning and task execution, what are the brain inputs that cause this activity, and how in turn the release of dopamine and noradrenaline controls the activity of target regions. Our ultimate goal is to use this mechanistic basis of the function of catecholamines in behaviors to understand the role of catecholamine dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. We combine optogenetics, two-photon imaging, electrophysiology, and computational approaches to define encoding of task variables by neurons.

Please get in touch if you are interested in joining the lab.