Organization and Control of Hippocampal Networks

About this Seminar

When animals are in an off-line, non-locomotor behavioral state, neuronal activity in the hippocampus is thought to be largely disengaged from the present setting to enable cognitive mechanisms such as memory consolidation and planning. But how does the brain re-engage with the present surroundings during this behavioral state and permit access to current sensory information or promote new memory formation? Dr. Soltesz will present recent results that indicate that dentate spikes may support associative memory during non-locomotor behavior, extending the repertoire of cognitive processes beyond the classical “off-line” functions. In the second part of the talk, he will show new evidence that suggests that a rarely studied part of the hippocampus, the Fasciola cinereum, may play surprisingly significant roles as a novel site of seizure onset and target for interventions in temporal lobe epilepsy in both mice and humans.

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Neurobiology Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

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