Dissection of the neural circuitry underlying short-term memory
Description
Short-term memory is associated with persistent neural activity without sustained input, arising from the interactions between neurons with brief time constants. A variety of neural circuit models could account for existing measurements of neural activity. I will discuss my recent work aimed at determining which, if any, of these distinct mechanistic models are most consistent with neural circuitry. To accomplish this I have combined precise manipulations and recordings of neural activity with mathematical modeling. These techniques have enabled me to identify principles by which neural circuits produce robust dynamics, and have revealed circuit motifs supporting persistent activity. Finally, I will preview my ongoing efforts to develop next-generation optical tools for producing definitive tests of competing theoretical models of short-term memory.
Speaker Bio
Kayvon Daie studied physics as an undergraduate at Arizona State University. Enrolled in the physics PhD program at Cornell University, he joined Emre Aksay’s lab at the Cornell Medical School to study the brainstem circuitry responsible for controlling eye movements (the oculomotor integrator) in larval zebrafish. He then moved to the Janelia Research Campus to study the cortical circuitry underlying short-term memory in mice with Karel Svoboda and Shaul Druckmann.