Our research focuses on the adaptive and maladaptive neurobiological mechanisms by which stressful experiences shape brain circuits and the representation of negative memories. To this end, we use genetic mouse models and combine behavioral analyses with slice electrophysiology, network tracing, molecular, cellular, and circuit manipulations. By advancing our understanding of the effects of stress on memory systems, we seek to discover novel strategies for the treatment of affective disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
The project aims to understand the molecular and circuit mechanisms contributing to the long-term representation of negative memories in hippocampal-cortical circuits. Such mechanisms are investigated in the framework of stress (un)certainty, brain states, genetic and sex factors. The main goal is to identify the key neurobiological determinants of negative memory valence and memory persistence.
The goal of the project is to understand how chronic emotional stress changes the neuromodulatory system and how these changes affect neuronal circuits relevant to social behavior. To address these, the project focuses on the cortico-hippocampal circuit in mice exposed to chronic stress.
The project aims to establish a cell-type-specific circuit mechanism for stress-induced memory impairment. Using a mouse as a model, the project focuses on the circuit formed between the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), hippocampus, and thalamus, which are critical for spatial/contextual memory, and test how neuromodulatory systems alter their interaction and trigger maladaptive memory in stress.
