Foster, David
<p>December 9, 2019, 9:02 PM</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We are interested in how populations, or ensembles, of neurons encode and process information. We collect data from neural ensembles during free behavior, and we interpret these data using <strong>computational frameworks such as reinforcement learning</strong>. Our recent focus has been on ensembles in the <strong>hippocampus that underlie spatial learning and memory</strong>. We are particularly interested in <strong>offline ensemble activity, known as "replay"</strong>, in which <strong>sequential activity patterns depict simulated spatial trajectories, both prior to and immediately following movement.</strong> Work in the laboratory divides into three sub-areas:</p>
<ol class="list-with-bullets">
<li>(i) <strong>Consideration of the function of replay, for example, in planning future behavior, including how replay might drive or otherwise interact with reward expectation activity in downstream areas;</strong></li>
<li>(ii) Inquiry into the mechanisms by which replays are generated, including how they are learned, and how different circuit elements contribute; and</li>
<li>(iii) Consideration of the possible role in disease of dysfunctional replay.</li>
</ol>