MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, University of Oxford, Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, Oxford

The main objective of our group is to study neuronal activity patterns in hippocampal circuits during behaviour and sleep, and to determine the cooperative responses and interactions of principal cells and different interneuron types within these circuits. This circuit analysis is applied (i) to investigate how hippocampal space representations (maps) are formed and maintained during spatial exploratory behaviour, (ii) to establish the mechanism and behavioural role of population patterns, which occur during sleep and behaviour, including network oscillations (e.g. theta or gamma oscillations) and other network burst patterns (e.g. sharp waves, dentate spikes), and (iii) to define network mechanisms that contributes to the replay of waking activity patterns during sleep, which is associated with memory consolidation processes. The overall aim is to understand more fully how neuronal circuits in hippocampus function during behaviour. Ultimately, such knowledge may lead to new approaches to treat neurological and psychiatric diseases.

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