Assistant Professor Mazen Kheirbek, UCSF : “Encoding of emotionally relevant stimuli in hippocampal circuits”
Speaker:
Assistant Professor Mazen Kheirbek
Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco
Title: “Encoding of emotionally relevant stimuli in hippocampal circuits”
Abstract: The hippocampus contributes to both cognition and mood, however how it may perform these two functions remains an area of active investigation. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts to understand the encoding properties of hippocampal cell types. First, I will discuss how the dentate gyrus subregion of the hippocampus, and the adult generated granule cells within this structure, encode information, and discriminate between safe and fearful stimuli. Then, I will discuss our recent efforts to understand how distinct, anatomically defined, ventral hippocampal neurons may encode anxiety-provoking environments, and control avoidance behavior. These studies will highlight the rich heterogeneity of hippocampal cell types circuits, and reveal novel functional roles for the hippocampus in encoding emotionally relevant stimuli and generating approach and avoidance behaviors.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium on Level 7 are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
