Killam Seminar Series: Encoding Dopamine Signals in Striatal Circuits
Supported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts, The Neuro's Killam Seminar Series invites outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill University.
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Christopher Ford
Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado
Host: austen.milnerwood [at] mcgill.ca (Austen Milnerwood)
Abstract: Ford's lab examines how neuromodulators are encoded in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems and how circuit dysfunctions in these areas contribute to neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin play key roles in the basal ganglia and nucleus accumbens, controlling a variety of motivated behaviors including decision-making, action selection, motor skill learning, habit formation and reward processing. The lab uses a combination of electrophysiology, 2-photon imaging, optogenetics, genetically encoded optical sensors, electrochemistry, in vivo fiber photometry and behavioral approaches to study how transmission mediated by these neuromodulators are encoded within mesolimbic and nigrostriatal circuits. By identifying the mechanisms regulating signaling Ford's lab aims to identify the disruptions in these systems that underlie psychiatric disorders such as drug addiction and schizophrenia and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
