Emmy Noether Group Leader Dr. Magdalene Schlesiger

Work in our lab aims to investigate how the formation of long-term memories is altered by the use of drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine. More specifically, we aim to investigate how addictive drugs and endogenous dopamine released from the mesolimbic dopaminergic system influence neuronal network activity in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex at different stages of long-term memory formation. To achieve these aims, we use in vivo electrophysiological recordings from large ensembles of neurons in mice performing memory tasks during and after the repeated use of addictive substances. To decipher the neuronal circuits that link addiction and memory, these methods are combined with optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of genetically-defined cell types and pathways.