Research
A key focus is the CA2 region of the hippocampus, which is essential for social memory—the ability to recognize and remember others.
Our own work and others have demonstrated:
- Alterations in CA2 function are linked to social memory deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
- CA2 processes social information, such as social odors from distinct individuals in a highly organized and sophisticated manner.
Building on these discoveries, we are now exploring how CA2 integrates social information into a unified “social map” and how disruptions in this process may contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
More broadly, we aim to understand how the hippocampus transforms sensory inputs into internal models that guide behaviour, with a focus on social contexts and investigating how these processes break down in neuropsychiatric (e.g., schizophrenia) and neurodevelopmental (e.g., autism) disorders.
Our research builds on modern techniques of the neuroscientifc toolbox:
High-resolution imaging and electrical recordings capture detailed brain activity, while machine learning-assisted behavioral analysis helps link neural patterns to behavior; advanced statistical modeling and targeted interventions identify underlying mechanisms and test for causal relationships.
Together, these methods allow us to examine how different brain regions interact, providing insights into both typical brain function – from cell function, to networks, to behavior – and neurological disorders
Techniques
SLEAP algorithm-based pose estimation of a mouse (yellow: nose, ears, neck, and tail base) and its trajectory (grey) during exploration in a three-chamber arena sociability task. The task includes a novel stimulus mouse in an enclosure at the lower right corner and an object in the top left corner.
In vivo two-photon Ca?? imaging of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells expressing the Ca?? sensor GCaMP6s in an awake mouse exposed to different social odor samples.
In vitro acute brain slice recording.
Left: Electrical and optogenetic (not shown) stimulations assess hippocampal circuit function, illustrated here with electrical stimulation of entorhinal cortex layer 2 (ECII) and Schaffer collateral (SC) inputs during whole-cell recording in CA2.
Right: Intrinsic voltage response of a hippocampal pyramidal neuron in current clamp following sub- and suprathreshold current injection.