Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

Through neuroplasticity, the adult brain has the wonderful ability to continually adapt and form new circuits. We take advantage of this phenomenon when we memorize a text or when we practice a musical instrument. As the phrase "practice makes perfect” illustrates, repeating an activity is the key element that allows its consolidation. Several studies have shown that the repetition of neural activity can lead to synaptic potentiation following the principles identified by Hebb more than sixty years ago, often summarized as "neurons that fire together, wire together”. Despite progress in our understanding of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, we still understand very little about the principles underlying its expression in large-scale in vivo systems.

The overall aim of my research program is to identify how neuronal activity can cause changes in connectivity and influence brain function. I am particularly interested in studying how the repetition of activity in circuits responsible for the control of movements can lead to the reorganization of cortical functional maps. The motor system is a great structure to enable us to understand the principles leading to functional reorganization, because we can directly observe its output in terms of muscle activity.

To study these principles, I will employ cutting-edge neuroengineering techniques to precisely control patterns of activity in corticospinal circuits. In the laboratory, I will test interventions in rats combining large-scale recordings with the electrical and optogenetic stimulation. These interventions will aim to identify effective combinations of parameters to induce changes in the circuits that link the cortical neurons to motor forelimb muscles. Through this research, I will identify the rules by which neuronal activity leads to system-scale functional changes and effective methods to guide neuroplasticity.