Mentor/s:
Roberto Rodriguez Morales, PhD Carlos Jimenez, PhD and Cristhian Calo, PhD
Project Title:
Reward Anticipation Reduced H-Current in Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons
Project Description:
My research focuses on understanding how drug-paired cues influence the intrinsic properties of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) during cocaine administration. Using an intermittent self-administration (IntA) paradigm, our lab previously found that cocaine intake reduces the hyperpolarization-activate d cyclic nucleotide current (Ih) and membrane capacitance (Cm) of VTA DA neurons, enhancing synaptic integration. To explore the role of associative learning, we compared three animal groups: cocaine and saline IntA and cocaine yoked cue. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that voluntary cocaine intake, paired with cues, significantly reduces Ih and increases temporal summation. These findings suggest that drug-associated cues modulate the excitability of VTA DA neurons, providing insight into the neural mechanisms underlying substance use disorder.
Mentor/s:
Mathew Wilson, PhD and Pedro Feliciano, PhD
Project Title:
Investigating Scale-Dependent Learning in the Barnes Maze
Project Description:
This summer, I worked on an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project under Dr. Pedro Feliciano, investigating scale-dependent spatial learning in mice using the Barnes maze. Our study explored how maze size influences spatial navigation strategies by comparing mice performance in two different maze sizes (61.5 cm and 122.5 cm in diameter). Using DeepLabCut for behavioral tracking, we analyzed search patterns, errors, and goal-finding times. Our findings aim to highlight how environmental scale affects learning and whether prior experience in a larger maze enhances performance in a smaller one, providing new insights into spatial cognition.
