Mechanisms of Sensory Systems Plasticity, Learning and Memory Formation
Raphael Pinaud
My research interests lie in the cellular and molecular basis of experience-dependent plasticity of sensory systems, and how sensory experience impacts perception and behavioral learning. I use two experimental models and sensory systems to pursue these questions: the songbird auditory system and the rodent visual system. One of the main strengths of the songbird system is the ability to have a behavioral readout of neuronal changes through a quantifiable natural communication signal, song, which has strong analogies to human speech. The mammalian visual system arguably houses the most advanced evolutionary design for the encoding and efficient handling of sensory input, given that light information represents the fastest and possibly the most physically complex source of physical energy processed by most mammals. Research in the mammalian visual system also allows for a highly controllable and diverse set of experimental preparations. In addition, powerful genetic tools are currently available for studies conducted in rodents. Research in this lab employs a multi-disciplinary approach that involves rigorous anatomical, molecular, cellular and histological techniques, in addition to quantitative proteomics, in-vitro electrophysiology (patch-clamp) and in-vivo multi-electrode recordings (awake animals).