"Genetic Dissection of Entorhinal-Hippocampal Neural Circuits Underlying Learning and Memory" Dr. Takashi Kitamura

Dr. Takashi Kitamura

Research Scientist

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract

In humans and animals, episodic memory requires the concerted association of objects, space and time coordinated by the entorhinal cortex (EC)-hippocampal (HPC) network. While the encoding of space and object associations in this network have been well explored, our understanding of the time-related aspect of episodic memory is only very recently coming to light. For instance, the input from medial EC layer III cells to CA1 pyramidal cells is important for the temporal association of discontinuous events. Most cognitive and motor phenomena temporal association memory must be regulated for optimal adaptive benefit. However, virtually nothing is known about the underlying mechanisms of this regulation. In my talk, I will provide the next major step by 1) mapping and 2) characterizing an unsuspected neuronal circuit within the EC-HPC network and 3) examining the effect of its optogenetic manipulations on a temporal association memory and 4) monitoring the cell type-specific neuronal activities by using a miniature head-mounted fluorescence microscope.

Biography

Dr. Takashi Kitamura is a Research Scientist at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics, MIT, USA. He received his Ph.D. in Biology at Kyushu University (Fukuoka, Japan) in 2007. After a Post-Doc at Mitsubishi-Kagaku institute of life science (Tokyo, Japan) and an Assistant Professor at Toyama University (Toyama, Japan), he joined Tonegawa lab in 2011. In his research, Dr. Kitamura applies techniques of advanced mouse genetics, cell-type specific neural tracing, in vivo calcium imaging, in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, and optogenetic manipulation techniques to understand how episodic memory is formed and stored in the brain.