Amygdala Encoding of Reward Memory

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To made adaptive goal-directed choices, we have to consider the consequences of our actions so we can select the most advantageous choice. These considerations are informed by our memory of similar circumstances in the past. This capacity becomes disrupted in many neuropsychiatric conditions including substance use disorder. One behavioral mechanism by which adaptive decisions are made is via stimulus-reward associations. Despite the importance of understanding both adaptive and maladaptive decision making, we know very little about the neural circuits that encode these stimulus-reward memories. As such, the general goal of this project is to evaluate the neural mechanisms that underlie stimulus-reward memories and how they influence decision making. This work will provide insight into a vital aspect of motivated decision making, setting a foundation for understanding how these processes may go awry in disease states, and ultimately inform treatment strategies. A burgeoning literature indicates that memories can be encoded in discrete neural ensembles. These populations of cells have also been identified in the basolateral amygdala, a neural region that is also essential to the encoding and retrieving of reward memories. However, our understanding of whether and how ensembles of cells in the basolateral amygdala represent unique rewards, cues, and subsequently guide decisions is incomplete. My proposed study will determine whether there are unique reward and cue representing cells in the basolateral amygdala and how they may promote choice behavior. To accomplish these goals I will use a combination of cutting edge neuroscience tools and sophisticated behavioral assays in mice. In Aim 1, I will utilize a novel tag and capture approach to manipulate reward and cue activated neurons in the basolateral amygdala to determine the causal contribution of these neural ensembles to decision making. In Aim 2, I will use in vivo cellular resolution calcium imaging via miniaturized microscopes to reveal the neural dynamics of the basolateral amygdala in response to rewards and their affiliative cues, and during decisions. The outcomes of these proposed experiments will provide crucial information for our understanding of how the basolateral amygdala contributes to reward motivated choice. These findings will also provide insight for how the basolateral amygdala might be a target for drugs of abuse, but also may also serve as a site for intervention and treatment. I will carry out these studies in the Wassum Lab at UCLA, with the support and direction of a diverse and well-rounded mentoring team. The environment at UCLA will also provide excellent intellectual, technical and professional training. This will leave me well equipped to achieve my career goals of running an independent research lab studying addiction neurobiology.