← Back

Neuromodulator

Topic spotlight
TopicWorld Wide

neuromodulator

Discover seminars, jobs, and research tagged with neuromodulator across World Wide.
45 curated items21 Seminars19 ePosters5 Positions
Updated 1 day ago
45 items · neuromodulator
45 results
PositionElectrophysiology

Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine

Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, USA
Dec 5, 2025

Multiple electrophysiology positions available for neuroscientists with experience in in vivo electrophysiology or patch clamp techniques. Our laboratories are looking for passionate scientists with experience with either in vivo electrophysiology or patch clamp electrophysiology (recording and data analysis). Successful applicants will lead innovative experiments in which electrophysiology is a key method, analyze the data, and contribute to writing research papers and grant applications. We are committed to mentoring and offer a creative, thoughtful and collaborative scientific environment. Richards lab (https://sites.wustl.edu/richardslab/): We are seeking a creative scientist with experience in in vivo electrophysiological brain recordings such as local field potentials, multielectrode arrays, and/or in vivo single unit recordings and the analysis of these data. This project will investigate the formation of patterned activity throughout development and into adulthood in a new animal model, the marsupial fat-tailed dunnart. Chen lab (https://sites.wustl.edu/yaochenlab/): The projects aim to understand how the spatial and temporal features of key plasticity signals impact cellular and synaptic electrophysiology, as well as learning and memory. These experiments will be combined with optogenetics and two photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. We welcome experts in either patch clamp or in vivo electrophysiology, and we can train you for the rest. We welcome individuals who value rigor and craftsmanship, and will value your creativity in shaping the projects. Franken lab (https://sites.wustl.edu/frankenlab/): The electrophysiologist will lead experiments that aim to understand how the brain parses visual scenes into organized collections of objects. They will use advanced behavior, high-density electrode probes (e.g. Neuropixels) and optogenetics to understand how ensembles of neurons in cortical circuits perform these computations. We seek a creative scientist with prior expertise in electrophysiology, and look forward to train you in the other techniques. Our labs are members of the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, a large and collaborative scientific community. WashU Neuroscience is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 places worldwide for neuroscience research. Additional information on being a postdoc at Washington University in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs/ St. Louis is a city rich in culture, green spaces, free museums, world-class restaurants, and thriving music and arts scene. On top of it all, St. Louis is affordable and commuting to Washington University’s campuses is stress-free, whether you go by foot, bike, public transit, or car. The area combines the attractions of a major city with affordable lifestyle opportunities (https://medicine.wustl.edu/about/st-louis/). Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply. Minimum education & experience The appointee will have earned a Master’s degree or Ph.D. by the time of starting the appointment. Applicants should submit their CV and a cover letter explaining their background and interest in the position to Dr. Linda Richards (linda.richards@wustl.edu), Dr. Yao Chen (yaochen@wustl.edu), or Dr. Tom Franken (ftom@wustl.edu).

PositionNeuroscience

Prof Yao Chen

Washington University School of Medicine
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Dec 5, 2025

Dr. Yao Chen’s Laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated and intellectually curious individual for a full-time research technician position. Our laboratory conducts basic research to understand how dynamics of molecular signals contribute to neuromodulator actions and sleep functions. We employ a wide variety of techniques ex vivo and in vivo, including advanced microscopy, electrophysiology, molecular biology, and behavior analysis. This position assists with the technical aspects of studies and experiments, including documentation and preparation of materials.

PositionNeuroscience

Prof Yao Chen

Washington University School of Medicine
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Dec 5, 2025

Dr. Yao Chen’s Laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine is seeking a motivated and curious scientist for a full-time senior scientist position. Our laboratory conducts fundamental research to understand how dynamics of molecular signals contribute to neuromodulator actions and sleep functions. We employ a wide variety of techniques ex vivo and in vivo, including advanced microscopy, electrophysiology, molecular biology, and behavior analysis. The principal investigator is committed to fostering a lab culture that promotes equity, kindness, rigor, and creativity This position collaborates on designing, conducting and reporting of research projects.

PositionNeuroscience

Prof Yao Chen

Washington University School of Medicine
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Dec 5, 2025

Dr. Yao Chen’s Laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine is seeking a motivated and curious scientist for a full-time staff scientist position. Our laboratory conducts fundamental research to understand how dynamics of molecular signals contribute to neuromodulator actions and sleep functions. We employ a wide variety of techniques ex vivo and in vivo, including advanced microscopy, electrophysiology, molecular biology, and behavior analysis. The principal investigator is committed to fostering a lab culture that promotes equity, kindness, rigor, and creativity. The position is responsible for developing and conducting research projects, including experimental design, implementation, data analysis and documentation of experiment results.

PositionNeuroscience

Assistant Prof Yao Chen

Washington University School of Medicine
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
Dec 5, 2025

Are you looking for immersion in exciting science and cutting-edge technology? Yao Chen’s Laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated individual for a full-time research technician position. Our laboratory conducts basic research to understand how dynamics of molecular signals contribute to neuromodulator actions and sleep functions. We employ a wide variety of techniques ex vivo and in vivo, including two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, electrophysiology, biosensor design, opto/chemogenetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, and behavior analysis. For a complete job description and to apply, please visit https://jobs.wustl.edu and search for Job ID number “51507” for Research Technician II - Neuroscience – 51507.

SeminarNeuroscience

Dynamic endocrine modulation of the nervous system

Emily Jabocs
US Santa Barbara Neuroscience
Apr 17, 2023

Sex hormones are powerful neuromodulators of learning and memory. In rodents and nonhuman primates estrogen and progesterone influence the central nervous system across a range of spatiotemporal scales. Yet, their influence on the structural and functional architecture of the human brain is largely unknown. Here, I highlight findings from a series of dense-sampling neuroimaging studies from my laboratory designed to probe the dynamic interplay between the nervous and endocrine systems. Individuals underwent brain imaging and venipuncture every 12-24 hours for 30 consecutive days. These procedures were carried out under freely cycling conditions and again under a pharmacological regimen that chronically suppresses sex hormone production. First, resting state fMRI evidence suggests that transient increases in estrogen drive robust increases in functional connectivity across the brain. Time-lagged methods from dynamical systems analysis further reveals that these transient changes in estrogen enhance within-network integration (i.e. global efficiency) in several large-scale brain networks, particularly Default Mode and Dorsal Attention Networks. Next, using high-resolution hippocampal subfield imaging, we found that intrinsic hormone fluctuations and exogenous hormone manipulations can rapidly and dynamically shape medial temporal lobe morphology. Together, these findings suggest that neuroendocrine factors influence the brain over short and protracted timescales.

SeminarNeuroscience

Mechanisms and Roles of Fast Dopamine Signaling

Pascal S. Kaeser, MD
Professor, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
May 9, 2022

Dopamine is a neuromodulator that codes information on various time scales. I will discuss recent progress on the identification of fast release mechanisms for dopamine in the mouse striatum. I will present data on triggering mechanisms of dopamine release and evaluate its roles in striatal regulation. In the long-term, our work will allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms and time scales of dopamine coding in health and disease.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Norepinephrine links astrocytic activity to regulation of cortical state

Michael Reitman
Poskanzer Lab, UCSF
Jan 25, 2022

Cortical state, defined by the synchrony of population-level neuronal activity, is a key determinant of sensory perception. While many arousal-associated neuromodulators—including norepinephrine (NE)—reduce cortical synchrony, how the cortex resynchronizes following NE signaling remains unknown. Using in vivo two-photon imaging and electrophysiology in mouse visual cortex, we describe a critical role for cortical astrocytes in circuit resynchronization. We characterize astrocytes’ sensitive calcium responses to changes in behavioral arousal and NE, identify that astrocyte signaling precedes increases in cortical synchrony, and demonstrate that astrocyte-specific deletion of Adra1A alters arousal-related cortical synchrony. Our findings demonstrate that astrocytic NE signaling acts as a distinct neuromodulatory pathway, regulating cortical state and linking arousal-associated desynchrony to cortical circuit resynchronization.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

A Flash of Darkness within Dusk: Crossover inhibition in the mouse retina

Henrique Von Gersdorff
OHSU
Jan 17, 2022

To survive in the wild small rodents evolved specialized retinas. To escape predators, looming shadows need to be detected with speed and precision. To evade starvation, small seeds, grass, nuts and insects need to also be detected quickly. Some of these succulent seeds and insects may be camouflaged offering only low contrast targets.Moreover, these challenging tasks need to be accomplished continuously at dusk, night, dawn and daytime. Crossover inhibition is thought to be involved in enhancing contrast detectionin the microcircuits of the inner plexiform layer of the mammalian retina. The AII amacrine cells are narrow field cells that play a key role in crossover inhibition. Our lab studies the synaptic physiology that regulates glycine release from AII amacrine cellsin mouse retina. These interneurons receive excitation from rod and conebipolar cells and transmit excitation to ON-type bipolar cell terminals via gap junctions. They also transmit inhibition via multiple glycinergic synapses onto OFF bipolar cell terminals.AII amacrine cells are thus a central hub of synaptic information processing that cross links the ON and the OFF pathways. What are the functions of crossover inhibition? How does it enhance contrast detection at different ambient light levels? How is the dynamicrange, frequency response and synaptic gain of glycine release modulated by luminance levels and circadian rhythms? How is synaptic gain changed by different extracellular neuromodulators, like dopamine, and by intracellular messengers like cAMP, phosphateand Ca2+ ions from Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ stores? My talk will try to answer some of these questions and will pose additional ones. It will end with further hypothesis and speculations on the multiple roles of crossover inhibition.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

NMC4 Short Talk: Two-Photon Imaging of Norepinephrine in the Prefrontal Cortex Shows that Norepinephrine Structures Cell Firing Through Local Release

Samira Glaeser-Khan
Yale University
Dec 2, 2021

Norepinephrine (NE) is a neuromodulator that is released from projections of the locus coeruleus via extra-synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Tonic fluctuations in NE are involved in brain states, such as sleep, arousal, and attention. Previously, NE in the PFC was thought to be a homogenous field created by bulk release, but it remains unknown whether phasic (fast, short-term) fluctuations in NE can produce a spatially heterogeneous field, which could then structure cell firing at a fine spatial scale. To understand how spatiotemporal dynamics of norepinephrine (NE) release in the prefrontal cortex affect neuronal firing, we performed a novel in-vivo two-photon imaging experiment in layer ⅔ of the prefrontal cortex using a green fluorescent NE sensor and a red fluorescent Ca2+ sensor, which allowed us to simultaneously observe fine-scale neuronal and NE dynamics in the form of spatially localized fluorescence time series. Using generalized linear modeling, we found that the local NE field differs from the global NE field in transient periods of decorrelation, which are influenced by proximal NE release events. We used optical flow and pattern analysis to show that release and reuptake events can occur at the same location but at different times, and differential recruitment of release and reuptake sites over time is a potential mechanism for creating a heterogeneous NE field. Our generalized linear models predicting cellular dynamics show that the heterogeneous local NE field, and not the global field, drives cell firing dynamics. These results point to the importance of local, small-scale, phasic NE fluctuations for structuring cell firing. Prior research suggests that these phasic NE fluctuations in the PFC may play a role in attentional shifts, orienting to sensory stimuli in the environment, and in the selective gain of priority representations during stress (Mather, Clewett et al. 2016) (Aston-Jones and Bloom 1981).

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Context-Dependent Relationships between Locus Coeruleus Firing Patterns and Coordinated Neural Activity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Siddhartha Joshi
Baylor College of Medicine
Oct 6, 2021

Ascending neuromodulatory projections from the locus coeruleus (LC) affect cortical neural networks via the release of norepinephrine (NE). However, the exact nature of these neuromodulatory effects on neural activity patterns in vivo is not well understood. Here we show that in awake monkeys, LC activation is associated with changes in coordinated activity patterns in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). These relationships, which are largely independent of changes in firing rates of individual ACC neurons, depend on the type of LC activation: ACC pairwise correlations tend to be reduced when tonic (baseline) LC activity increases but are enhanced when external events drive phasic LC responses. Both relationships covary with pupil changes that reflect LC activation and arousal. These results suggest that modulations of information processing that reflect changes in coordinated activity patterns in cortical networks can result partly from ongoing, context-dependent, arousal-related changes in activation of the LC-NE system.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Disinhibitory and neuromodulatory regulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity

Inês Guerreiro
Gutkin lab, Ecole Normale Superieure
Jul 27, 2021

The CA1 pyramidal neurons are embedded in an intricate local circuitry that contains a variety of interneurons. The roles these interneurons play in the regulation of the excitatory synaptic plasticity remains largely understudied. Recent experiments showed that repeated cholinergic activation of 𝛼7 nACh receptors expressed in oriens-lacunosum-moleculare (OLM𝛼2) interneurons could induce LTP in SC-CA1 synapses. We used a biophysically realistic computational model to examine mechanistically how cholinergic activation of OLMa2 interneurons increases SC to CA1 transmission. Our results suggest that, when properly timed, activation of OLMa2 interneurons cancels the feedforward inhibition onto CA1 pyramidal cells by inhibiting fast-spiking interneurons that synapse on the same dendritic compartment as the SC, i.e., by disinhibiting the pyramidal cell dendritic compartment. Our work further describes the pairing of disinhibition with SC stimulation as a general mechanism for the induction of synaptic plasticity. We found that locally-reduced GABA release (disinhibition) paired with SC stimulation could lead to increased NMDAR activation and intracellular calcium concentration sufficient to upregulate AMPAR permeability and potentiate the excitatory synapse. Our work suggests that inhibitory synapses critically modulate excitatory neurotransmission and induction of plasticity at excitatory synapses. Our work also shows how cholinergic action on OLM interneurons, a mechanism whose disruption is associated with memory impairment, can down-regulate the GABAergic signaling into CA1 pyramidal cells and facilitate potentiation of the SC-CA1 synapse.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Cholinergic modulation of the cerebellum

Jasmine Pickford
Apps lab, University of Bristol
Jul 13, 2021

Many studies have investigated the major glutamatergic inputs to the cerebellum, mossy fibres and climbing fibres, however far less is known about its neuromodulatory inputs. In particular, anatomical studies have described cholinergic input to the cerebellum, yet little is known about its role(s). In this talk, I will present our recent findings which demonstrate that manipulating acetylcholine receptors in the cerebellum causes effects at both a cellular and behavioural level. Activating acetylcholine receptors alters the intrinsic properties and synaptic inputs of cerebellar output neurons, and blocking these receptors results in deficits in a range of behavioural tasks.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

An in-silico framework to study the cholinergic modulation of the neocortex

Cristina Colangelo
EPFL, Blue Brain Project
Jun 29, 2021

Neuromodulators control information processing in cortical microcircuits by regulating the cellular and synaptic physiology of neurons. Computational models and detailed simulations of neocortical microcircuitry offer a unifying framework to analyze the role of neuromodulators on network activity. In the present study, to get a deeper insight in the organization of the cortical neuropil for modeling purposes, we quantify the fiber length per cortical volume and the density of varicosities for catecholaminergic, serotonergic and cholinergic systems using immunocytochemical staining and stereological techniques. The data obtained are integrated into a biologically detailed digital reconstruction of the rodent neocortex (Markram et al, 2015) in order to model the influence of modulatory systems on the activity of the somatosensory cortex neocortical column. Simulations of ascending modulation of network activity in our model predict the effects of increasing levels of neuromodulators on diverse neuron types and synapses and reveal a spectrum of activity states. Low levels of neuromodulation drive microcircuit activity into slow oscillations and network synchrony, whereas high neuromodulator concentrations govern fast oscillations and network asynchrony. The models and simulations thus provide a unifying in silico framework to study the role of neuromodulators in reconfiguring network activity.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Arousal State and Cortical Excitation

Lindsay Collins
McCormick Lab, University of Oregon
Jun 29, 2021

The vagus nerve is a major pathway by which the brain and the body communicate. Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) is widely used as a therapeutic intervention for epilepsy and there is compelling evidence that it can enhance recovery following stroke. Our work demonstrates that VNS exerts a robust excitatory effect on the brain. First, we establish that VNS triggers an increase in arousal state as measured by behavioral state change. This behavioral state change is linked to an increase in excitatory activity within the cortex. We also show that cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulatory pathways are activated by VNS, providing a potential mechanism by which VNS may trigger cortical activation. Importantly, the effect of VNS on neuromodulation and cortical excitation persists in anesthetized mice, demonstrating that VNS-induced cortical activation cannot be fully explained by associated behavioral changes.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Visual processing of feedforward and feedback signals in mouse thalamus

Laura Busse
LMU Munich
Jun 6, 2021

Traditionally, the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus has been considered a feedforward relay station for retinal signals to reach primary visual cortex. The local and long-range circuits of dLGN, however, suggest that this view is not correct. Indeed, besides the thalamo-cortical relay cells, dLGN contains local inhibitory interneurons, and receives not only feedforward input from the retina, but also massive direct and indirect feedback from primary visual cortex. Furthermore, it is one of the earliest processing stages in the visual system that integrates visual information with neuromodulatory signals.

SeminarNeuroscience

State-dependent cortical circuits

Jess Cardin
Yale School of Medicine
May 13, 2021

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We therefore recently developed an approach for dual mesoscopic imaging of acetylcholine release and neural activity across the entire cortical mantle in behaving mice. We find spatiotemporally heterogeneous patterns of cholinergic signaling across the cortex. Transitions between distinct behavioral states reorganize the structure of large-scale cortico-cortical networks and differentially regulate the relationship between cholinergic signals and neural activity. Together, our findings suggest dynamic state-dependent regulation of cortical network operations at the levels of both local and large-scale circuits. Zoom Meeting ID: 964 8138 3003 Contact host if you cannot connect.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

New genetically encoded sensors to track addiction-relevant neuromodulators in vivo

Tommaso Patriarchi
University of Zurich
Apr 14, 2021
SeminarNeuroscience

The retrotrapezoid nucleus: an integrative and interoceptive hub in neural control of breathing

Douglas A. Bayliss
University of Virginia
Apr 11, 2021

In this presentation, we will discuss the cellular and molecular properties of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), an integrative and interoceptive control node for the respiratory motor system. We will present the molecular profiling that has allowed definitive identification of a cluster of tonically active neurons that provide a requisite drive to the respiratory central pattern generator (CPG) and other pre-motor neurons. We will discuss the ionic basis for steady pacemaker-like firing, including by a large subthreshold oscillation; and for neuromodulatory influences on RTN activity, including by arousal state-dependent neurotransmitters and CO2/H+. The CO2/H+-dependent modulation of RTN excitability represents the sensory component of a homeostatic system by which the brain regulates breathing to maintain blood gases and tissue pH; it relies on two intrinsic molecular proton detectors, both a proton-activated G protein-coupled receptor (GPR4) and a proton-inhibited background K+ channel (TASK-2). We will also discuss downstream neurotransmitter signaling to the respiratory CPG, focusing especially on a newly-identified peptidergic modulation of the preBötzinger complex that becomes activated following birth and the initiation of air breathing. Finally, we will suggest how the cellular and molecular properties of RTN neurons identified in rodent models may contribute to understanding human respiratory disorders, such as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

SeminarNeuroscience

State-dependent cortical circuits

Jessica Cardin
Yale School of Medicine
Jan 17, 2021

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We therefore recently developed an approach for dual mesoscopic imaging of acetylcholine release and neural activity across the entire cortical mantle in behaving mice. We find spatiotemporally heterogeneous patterns of cholinergic signaling across the cortex. Transitions between distinct behavioral states reorganize the structure of large-scale cortico-cortical networks and differentially regulate the relationship between cholinergic signals and neural activity. Together, our findings suggest dynamic state-dependent regulation of cortical network operations at the levels of both local and large-scale circuits.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

State-dependent regulation of cortical circuits

Jessica Cardin
Yale School of Medicine
Nov 10, 2020

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We therefore recently developed an approach for dual mesoscopic imaging of acetylcholine release and neural activity across the entire cortical mantle in behaving mice. We find spatiotemporally heterogeneous patterns of cholinergic signaling across the cortex. Transitions between distinct behavioral states reorganize the structure of large-scale cortico-cortical networks and differentially regulate the relationship between cholinergic signals and neural activity. Together, our findings suggest dynamic state-dependent regulation of cortical network operations at the levels of both local and large-scale circuits.

SeminarNeuroscience

Protein Synthesis at Neuronal Synapses

Erin Schuman
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
Oct 26, 2020

The complex morphology of neurons, with synapses located 100’s of microns from the cell body, necessitates the localization of important cell biological machines and processes within dendrites and axons. Using expansion microscopy together with metabolic labeling we have discovered that both postsynaptic spines and presynaptic terminals exhibit rapid translation, which exhibits differential sensitivity to different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. In addition, we have explored the unique mechanisms neurons use to meet protein demands at synapses, identifying the transcriptome and translatome in the neuropil.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Modulation of C. elegans behavior by gut microbes

Michael O'Donnell
Yale University
Oct 25, 2020

We are interested in understanding how microbes impact the behavior of host animals. Animal nervous systems likely evolved in environments richly surrounded by microbes, yet the impact of bacteria on nervous system function has been relatively under-studied. A challenge has been to identify systems in which both host and microbe are amenable to genetic manipulation, and which enable high-throughput behavioral screening in response to defined and naturalistic conditions. To accomplish these goals, we use an animal host — the roundworm C. elegans, which feeds on bacteria — in combination with its natural gut microbiome to identify inter-organismal signals driving host-microbe interactions and decision-making. C. elegans has some of the most extensive molecular, neurobiological and genetic tools of any multicellular eukaryote, and, coupled with the ease of gnotobiotic culture in these worms, represents a highly attractive system in which to study microbial influence on host behavior. Using this system, we discovered that commensal bacterial metabolites directly modulate nervous system function of their host. Beneficial gut microbes of the genus Providencia produce the neuromodulator tyramine in the C. elegans intestine. Using a combination of behavioral analysis, neurogenetics, metabolomics and bacterial genetics we established that bacterially produced tyramine is converted to octopamine in C. elegans, which acts directly in sensory neurons to reduce odor aversion and increase sensory preference for Providencia. We think that this type of sensory modulation may increase association of C. elegans with these microbes, increasing availability of this nutrient-rich food source for the worm and its progeny, while facilitating dispersal of the bacteria.

SeminarNeuroscienceRecording

Circuit mechanisms underlying the dynamic control of cortical processing by subcortical neuromodulators

Anita Disney
Duke University School of Medicine
Oct 22, 2020

Behavioral states such as arousal and attention can have profound effects on sensory processing, determining how – sometimes whether – a stimulus is processed. This state-dependence is believed to arise, at least in part, as a result of inputs to cortex from subcortical structures that release neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, noradrenaline, and serotonin, often non-synaptically. The mechanisms that underlie the interaction between these “wireless” non-synaptic signals and the “wired” cortical circuit are not well understood. Furthermore, neuromodulatory signaling is traditionally considered broad in its impact across cortex (within a species) and consistent in its form and function across species (at least in mammals). The work I will present approaches the challenge of understanding neuromodulatory action in the cortex from a number of angles: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and chemistry. The overarching goal of our effort is to elucidate the mechanisms behind local neuromodulation in the cortex of non-human primates, and to reveal differences in structure and function across cortical model systems.

SeminarNeuroscience

Influence of cortical and neuromodulatory loops on sensory information processing and perception in the mouse olfactory system

Markus Rothermel
Dept. Chemosensation, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Oct 11, 2020
SeminarNeuroscience

Rapid State Changes Account for Apparent Brain and Behavior Variability

David McCormick
University of Oregon
Sep 16, 2020

Neural and behavioral responses to sensory stimuli are notoriously variable from trial to trial. Does this mean the brain is inherently noisy or that we don’t completely understand the nature of the brain and behavior? Here we monitor the state of activity of the animal through videography of the face, including pupil and whisker movements, as well as walking, while also monitoring the ability of the animal to perform a difficult auditory or visual task. We find that the state of the animal is continuously changing and is never stable. The animal is constantly becoming more or less activated (aroused) on a second and subsecond scale. These changes in state are reflected in all of the neural systems we have measured, including cortical, thalamic, and neuromodulatory activity. Rapid changes in cortical activity are highly correlated with changes in neural responses to sensory stimuli and the ability of the animal to perform auditory or visual detection tasks. On the intracellular level, these changes in forebrain activity are associated with large changes in neuronal membrane potential and the nature of network activity (e.g. from slow rhythm generation to sustained activation and depolarization). Monitoring cholinergic and noradrenergic axonal activity reveals widespread correlations across the cortex. However, we suggest that a significant component of these rapid state changes arise from glutamatergic pathways (e.g. corticocortical or thalamocortical), owing to their rapidity. Understanding the neural mechanisms of state-dependent variations in brain and behavior promises to significantly “denoise” our understanding of the brain.

ePoster

Redundancy in ion channel expression enables simple neuromodulatory strategies

Andrea Ramirez-Hincapie, Thiago Burghi, Timothy O'Leary

Bernstein Conference 2024

ePoster

Neuromodulatory changes in the efficiency of information transmission at visual synapses

COSYNE 2022

ePoster

Neuromodulatory changes in the efficiency of information transmission at visual synapses

COSYNE 2022

ePoster

Influence of neuromodulators on brain state transitions in larval zebrafish

Antoine Légaré, Sandrine Poulin, Vincent Boily, Mado Lemieux, Patrick Desrosiers, Paul De Koninck

COSYNE 2023

ePoster

A Hopfield Network Model of Neuromodulatory Arousal State

Mohammed Osman, Kai Fox, Joshua Stern

COSYNE 2025

ePoster

Anxiety in Parkinson’s disease: Brainstem neuromodulatory mechanisms

Alexia Lantheaume, Nina Schöneberg, Silvia Rodriguez Rozada, Michael Schellenberger, Dennis Doll, Konstantin Kobel, Kilian Katzenberger, Jérémy Signoret-Genest, Maria-Soledad Esposito, Philip Tovote

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Computational and neuromodulatory mechanisms of impaired trust learning in older adults

Ronald Sladky, Federica Riva, Claus Lamm

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Correlations in neuromodulatory codes during different learning processes

Bálint Király, Annamária Benke, Vivien Pillár, Franciska Benyó, Írisz Szabó, Balázs Hangya

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Evaluation of the neuromodulatory effects of transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) using TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs)

Sumiya Shibata, Hideaki Onishi, Tatsuya Mima

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Investigating the role for the neuromodulator histamine in the development of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)

Yasmin Cras, Tommas Ellender

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Investigating the role of neuromodulators in mice during associative learning with a 50% reward schedule

Réka Kispál, Írisz Szabó, Bálint Király, Anna Velencei, Balázs Hangya

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Investigation of neuromodulator receptors endocytosis with the pulsed pH assay

Silvia Sposini, Rim Baccouch, Marc von Zastrow, Pierre Trifilieff, Alves Isabel, Aylin Hanyaloglu, David Perrais

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Molecular, functional, and behavioral analysis of neuromodulatory networks in the zebrafish telencephalon

Lukas Anneser, Chie Satou, Hans-Rudolf Hotz, Tommaso Caudullo, Alexandre Javier, Jaap van Krugten, Jan Eckhard, Kim Palacios Flores, Rainer Friedrich

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Network modulation using pathway and neuromodulator specific chemogenetics in macaque frontal cortex: Foraging behaviour, imaging and histology

Clémence Gandaux, Jérôme Sallet, Emmanuel Procyk, Charles Wilson

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Neuromodulators trigger the formation of inhibitory boutons in hippocampus via activation of cAMP/PKA signaling

Ségolène Bompierre, Seeger Deerenberg, Iris Westerdiep, Gisela Espriu Aguado, Bart Jongbloets, Corette Wierenga

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Neuromodulatory role of relaxin-3/RXFP3 signaling in stress- and anxiety-related circuits: Insights from the rat ventral dentate gyrus

Gabriela Stopka, Aleksandra Trenk, Anna Gugula, Kinga Przybylska, Aleksandra Nogaj, Emilia Goszczynska, Andrew L. Gundlach, Anna Blasiak

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Probing the neuromodulatory effect of SSRIs on serotonin release across brain regions with improved iSeroSnFR

Emily Wright, Kiran Long-Iyer, Rochelin Dalangin, Ji-You Min, Yiwei Hua, Lin Tian

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

The role of striatal neuromodulatory signals in adaptive learning of action value

Chiara Toschi, Matthias Fritsche, Olena Didenko, Carl Lindersson, Samuel Liebana-Garcia, Armin Lak

FENS Forum 2024

ePoster

Strategic decision bias relates to altered parietal evidence accumulation and scales with task-evoked, but not baseline, neuromodulator activity

Stijn Nuiten, Jan Willem de Gee, Jasper Zantvoord, Philipp Sterzer, Johannes Fahrenfort, Simon van Gaal

FENS Forum 2024