The goals of this area are to elucidate the development and function of neural circuits involved in behavior based on genetic, molecular, cellular, behavioral and circuit analysis.
The study covers different aspects of the normal and pathological functions of neuronal circuits, and focus on the research of the development of synapses and neural circuits, of adult neurogenesis, and of the neural bases of behavior that are affected in emotional disorders such as aggression, anxiety and depression.
Two genetic models are used: Drosophila melanogaster and mice, which are analyzed using different experimental approaches, such as electrophysiology, calcium imaging, optogenetics, behavioral characterization, and different neuroanatomy tools.