Revealing circuit mechanisms of contextual control of feeding behaviour

Humans and animals adjust their feeding behaviour according to many environmental factors, including the spatial context where food is found and consumed. Such contextual control of food seeking and eating is notably central to the ability to meet future needs and maximise chances of survival to changes in feeding routines, and may also impact abnormal feeding behaviour. However, the underpinning brain network mechanisms and pathways remain unclear. The Dupret laboratory (MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford) investigates how the concerted spiking activity of neurons supports memory and the Krashes laboratory (NIH/NIDDK) investigates homeostatic and non-homeostatic feeding behaviour. An integrated project between the two labs, in collaboration with an NIH OxCam Scholar would be designed to enable the pursuit of a Ph.D. revealing circuit mechanisms of contextual control of feeding behaviour using in vivo large-scale network recordings in behaving rodents, combined with optogenetic and closed-loop manipulations.