Our Research
The Big Picture
The focus of our research is to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms supporting learning and memory using Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats as a model system. Fear conditioning lends itself well towards answering basic questions about how the brain supports learning and memory. We can also use this form of learning to understand the neurobiological basis of atypical fear responses, which may ultimately help us to identify the underlying mechanisms of fear and anxiety-based disorders such as PTSD.
Ongoing Projects
There are several lines of research currently ongoing in the laboratory. We have long running project focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that allow prior behavioral experience to influence subsequent learning. We also have a project focused on sex differences in various aspects of fear learning and recent work has started to probe the neural circuit mechanisms underlying these differences. Finally, a new line of research in the lab seeks to understand how the claustrum participates in contextual processes.
The Tools We Use
We assess fear learning and memory in rats by measuring changes in freezing behavior and potentiation of the acoustic startle reflex. We measure learning-related changes in neural activity through a variety of protein expression methods including immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting. We study how specific neural circuits support learning and memory combining viral-mediate tract tracing, chemogenetics, and fluorescent markers of activity.