Astro-neuronal systems lab 

In this project, we are examining how astrocytes shape the way information is represented in neural circuits during cognition. We combine large-scale in vivo imaging, targeted manipulation of astrocyte activity, and representational analyses to study how astrocytes influence the formation, stability, and reconfiguration of neural codes across brain states. By doing so, we aim to establish astrocytes as active contributors to representational encoding, beyond their traditional supportive role. 

In this project, we investigate how complex behaviors arise from distributed patterns of neuronal population activity across interconnected brain regions. For this, we combine large-scale in vivo imaging with behavioral paradigms that engage distinct actions and internal states. By identifying how specific neuronal representations and engrams are recruited, differentiated, or shared across behaviors, we aim to define the principles by which neuronal populations encode, select, and execute complex behaviors at the circuit level. 

In this project, we investigate how targeted manipulation of astrocyte activity alters the execution of specific behaviors and the neuronal representations that support them. By combining astrocyte-specific interventions with in vivo circuit imaging and behavioral assays, we examine how changes in astrocyte function reshape neuronal engrams and population codes linked to distinct actions. Our goal is to understand how astrocytes contribute causally to the selection, expression, and flexibility of complex behaviors.