Cell and systems analysis of spatial and episodic memory

我的目标是了解我们如何找到记住的东西在哪里，以及在日常生活中发生在我们身上的事情。我的目标是通过了解大脑不同部位神经元的活动如何实现这些功能，包括使用计算机来观察神经元如何协同工作，以及涉及单细胞数据的实验，功能性神经成像和研究特定脑损伤患者。为了进行真实的实验，我将使用虚拟现实的最新进展来提供做这些事情的受控情况。这一点很重要，原因如下：诊断神经系统疾病并监测其进展往往取决于能否衡量其对行为的影响。许多神经系统疾病会影响我们的认路和记忆能力，例如阿尔茨海默病-最常见的痴呆症。在可能需要进行脑部手术的情况下（如在某些顽固性癫痫病例中），能够使用行为测试和成像技术来判断大脑的哪个部分受到影响也是有用的。在更基本的层面上，了解神经元和神经系统如何工作将有助于新药的开发。这种类型的基础研究也可能产生不可预见的连锁反应：帮助相关领域的科学发现，如药理学，计算机科学，工程学。

I aim to understand how we find remember where things are and the things that happen to us in everyday life. I aim to do this by understanding how the actions of neurons in different parts of the brain enable these functions, including using computers to see how neurons can work together as well as experiments involving data from single cells, functional neuroimaging and studying patients with specific brain damage. To perform realistic experiments I will use recent advances in virtual reality to provide controlled situations in which to do these things. This is important for the following reasons.Diagnosing a neurological disease and monitoring its progress often depends on being able to measure its effect on behaviour. Many neurological conditions affect our ability find our way around and to remember things, e.g. Alzheimer‘s disease - the most common form of dementia. Where brain surgery may be required (as in some cases of intractable epilepsy) it is also useful to be able to tell which part rain is affected using behavioural tests, and imaging techniques. At a more basic level, understanding how the neurons and neural systems work will aid the development of new medicines. This type of basic research can also have unforeseen knock-on effects: aiding scientific discoveries in related fields such as pharmacology, computer science, engineering.