Imaging neuronal activity in vivo during exploration in virtual reality

This project is led by Dan Goodwin in collaboration with Jon Witton and Dan Dombeck’s groups is focused on understanding how spatial navigation is encoded in the retrosplenial cortex. To do this we utilize precise 2-photon microscopy with virtual reality navigation.

Aim:

We aim to investigate the role of the retrosplenial cortex in spatial navigation and cognitive flexibility, and how acetylcholine may modulate this relationship.

Techniques:

We use in vivo 2-photon microscopy in tandem with virtual reality to record cholinergic and calcium activity while animals navigate virtual environments.

Virtual reality allows us to induce grand or minute changes to their environment and measure how this influences neuronal activity. This work is complemented by in vitro electrophysiology and 2-photon microscopy to investigate how acetylcholine modulates the intrinsic properties of different subtypes of cells in the retrosplenial cortex.