The Inagaki lab studies cellular and network mechanisms underlying cognitive functions, such as decision making and time perception, in mice. Particularly, we are interested in
- How do brains track the passage of time? How does it affect dynamics in motor related regions to perform actions with proper timing?
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What is the mechanism of action initiation? How does the brain convert a memory/planning into an action?
We will employ multidisciplinary approaches, including creating new molecular tools for circuit interrogation, developing novel ethologically relevant behavioral tasks, building theoretical models to generate testable predictions, and recording neurophysiological responses (high-density silicon probe recordings and in-vivo whole cell recordings) in conjunction with optogenetic manipulations.
