Award
National Institute of Mental Health 5R01MH085974-15
Synaptic and dendritic physiology in the prefrontal cortex
Recipient
New York University
Award Amount
$506,300.00
Ceiling
$506,300.00
Awarded
December 06, 2023
Identifier
5R01MH085974-15
This award funds research to study the interaction between thalamic inputs and interneurons in the mouse prefrontal cortex to understand cognitive function and its disruption in mental health disorders.
Description
Our goal is to determine how higher-order thalamus interacts with different populations of GABAergic interneurons to mediate inhibition in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). Using electrophysiology, optogenetics, and 2-photon microscopy, we will examine how two thalamic inputs interact with interneurons, how these cells synapse onto other excitatory and inhibitory cells, and how a subset of interneurons contacts dendrites to inhibit local Ca2+ signaling. These experiments aim to elucidate how the thalamus interacts with the PFC to support cognitive function and how this may be disrupted in mental health disorders.