Motor cortex circuits for learned movements

Join the UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping in a hybrid seminar featuring Dr. Takaki Komiyama, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurobiology at UC San Diego.

This hybrid seminar will be taking place in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB)2020 & Telecast via Zoom.

Abstract:

Motor cortex circuits are highly plastic, enabling adaptive control and learning of body movements. I will discuss two projects. In the first project, we studied the spatial and functional specificity of synaptogenesis that occurs during motor learning. This was done by longitudinal functional imaging of dendritic spines followed by correlated electron microscopy. In the second project, we are investigating the roles of motor cortex ensemble activity in the control of learned movements. This is done by population calcium imaging combined with holographic two-photon optogenetic stimulation of neural ensembles.