Project: Revealing circuits underlying volitional (self-initiated) behaviour

Our lab is interested in understanding the organization and function of the neural circuits that underlie ?cognitive? behaviour. By employing a combination of novel anatomical and physiological methods, we hope to reveal the actual functional connections of neurons forming the circuits that give rise to phenomena such as perception, memory, and volition.

Currently, we are focusing on elucidating the neural circuits involved in the execution of volitional or self initiated action, with a particular emphasis on how cells in different but related brain regions communicate with one another. Of particular interest are the connections between the sensory, motor, and limbic areas of the cerebral cortex, and the basal ganglia, a series of sub-cortical nuclei involved in the regulation of motor as well as cognitive function (conditions that affect the basal ganglia include Parkinson’s disease).

Students will be involved in the acquisition and analysis of data for ongoing projects that elucidate the change in individual neurons of the neostriatum, the input nucleus of the basal ganglia, during development. Interested individuals will also be introduced to a variety of in vitro and in vivo methods aimed at understanding the functional connectivity between neural circuits underlying volition.

Supervisor: Dr Atomu Sawatari

Address: Discipline of Physiology, Anderson Stuart Bldg

Phone: 9036 7127

Email: atomu@medsci.usyd.edu.au