Research focus
Our research combines large-scale neural recordings, targeted circuit manipulations, hormone and neurotransmitter measurements, and behavioral assays in freely moving animals. By bridging molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches, we seek to uncover fundamental principles of brain function that explain how animals—including humans—adapt to internal and external demands.
Understanding these core mechanisms not only sheds light on basic biology but also provides insights into the roots of behavioral dysfunction in mental health conditions.
Projects
Neurohormonal Control of Survival Behaviors
This project investigates how internal physiological states and hormonal signals shape the expression of instinctual behaviors like aggression, fear, and parenting. By combining brain-wide recordings and behavioral analysis, we aim to reveal how neuromodulators influence distributed neural population activity and how disruptions in these processes contribute to maladaptive behaviors.
Encoding of Instinctual Behaviors by Distributed Neural Circuits Using Two-Photon Imaging
We use advanced two-photon microscopy to study the dynamics and causal role of identified neural ensembles during behavior. By targeting defined circuits in vivo, we test whether the activity of specific populations is necessary and sufficient to drive behavioral responses. This approach enables us to dissect the logic of circuit function across multiple timescales and brain regions.
Brain-wide Network Dynamics During Social Conflict
This project focuses on how the brain encodes complex social experiences, such as threat and dominance, through coordinated activity across distant brain regions. Using high-density electrophysiology in freely behaving animals, we analyze how behavioral context shapes network-level representations. These experiments aim to reveal shared principles of social information processing and their relevance for emotional regulation.