Prof. Dr. Anna Schroeder

Keywords: neural circuits, internal states, behavior, zona incerta, psychiatric disease, deep brain stimulation, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, in vivo imaging

Exploring how neural circuits transform internal drives into action

The way that we feel has a profound influence over our behavior. Emotions like fear or motivations like curiosity can prompt us to flee from danger or to explore, while physiological needs such as hunger or fatigue might cause us to conserve energy by reducing movement. Yet, our responses are highly adaptable; in different environments, we might hide or fight when afraid, forage or rest when hungry, showing that our behaviors are flexible and shaped by both internal states and the external context.

Despite the critical importance of these computations for survival, we know surprisingly little about where in the brain they occur or how the brain achieves them. The goal of the Schroeder lab is to investigate how the brain generates internal states and then uses this vital information, along with external sensory cues and learned information from past experiences, to adapt behavior in dynamic environments.

In particular, our lab studies how emotions, motivations and needs are processed in the subthalamic circuits of the mysterious zona incerta, an emerging hub that regulates an impressive range of behaviors. In parallel, we aim to develop new therapeutic directions for psychiatric disease via neuromodulation. To achieve these goals, we use cutting-edge molecular, cellular and circuit-level technologies in mouse models, along with diverse behavioral paradigms and advanced machine learning techniques.

Methodology:

• In vivo calcium imaging using 2-photon microscopy or Miniscopes
• Whole-cell patch-clamp slice electrophysiology
• Optogenetics
• Chemogenetics
• Viral circuit tracing
• Single-cell RNA-sequencing
• Multiplexed fluorescent in situ hybridization
• State-driven behavioral paradigms
• Transgenic mouse models

Nice-to-have skills:

• Experience with mouse circuit neuroscience technologies
• Advanced coding skills in e.g., Python or MATLAB
• Experience in data analysis