Our lab studies the mouse motor system, with a specific emphasis on synaptic and circuit mechanisms in motor learning. The deep and distributed location of brain motor regions and the lack of specific tools for visualizing synaptic plasticity, neuromodulatory signaling, and neuronal activity in parallel and in vivo have thus far limited the study of the interplay of synaptic plasticity and neural circuit adaptation. Using in vivo imaging of synaptic structure, intracellular signaling pathways, and neuronal activity in combination with sophisticated behavioral tracking, we seek to understand how synaptic plasticity regulates circuit dynamics during learning. We are interested in addressing questions such as:

• How does synaptic plasticity shape the activity of individual neurons during learning?

• How does input-specific plasticity shape sensorimotor integration?

• How do neuromodulatory systems and internal states influence motor learning?

• How are synapse-to-circuit interactions disrupted in movement disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease?

Our lab uses a wide range of advanced technical approaches to address these questions, including:

• In vivo two-photon imaging

• Large-scale in vivo single unit recordings

• Opto- and chemogenetic manipulation of circuit activity

• Fluorescence-based sensors for voltage, calcium, neurotransmitters, and intracellular signaling

• Slice patch-clamp electrophysiology 

• Mouse behavior assays with movement tracking and disease mouse models

• Biochemical techniques for assessing the molecular composition of synapses