Shantanu Jadhav

Our research aims to understand the neural basis of memory and cognition. My lab employs a systems neuroscience approach in rodent models, in both health and disease, to investigate distributed brain networks necessary for the ability to learn, remember and make decisions. We use a combination of techniques, including behavior, simultaneous high-density electrophysiological recordings in multiple brain regions, and novel methods for real-time detection and perturbation of neural activity during behavior. We have used these experimental and computational tools to make several seminal contributions, and discovered novel coordination mechanisms in limbic – cortical networks with a role in learning and memory-guided behavior. We are building on the basic understanding of these processes to investigate how impairments in physiological mechanisms contribute to cognitive dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders, especially in autism spectrum disorders.