Learning and Brain Placticity

The brain learns by changing how neurons communicate, i.e., excite or inhibit each other. We focus on how GABA, the primary chemical inhibitor in the brain, supports learning. We currently have a poor understanding of its role because of a fundamental disconnect between research in animals vs. humans. We capitalise on recent advances in brain imaging to trace GABA non-invasively in the human and mouse brain. To validate these measurements, we employ state-of-the art sensors to measure and manipulate GABA in mice and test its role in controlling brain activity and connectivity. Finally, we employ interventions, stimulating brain regions or specific inhibitory neurons, to interrogate causal mechanisms of learning. This work across species and scales (from neurons to brain networks) will advance understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of learning and brain plasticity with potential for translation to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders related to disruption of inhibition in brain networks.