Neuronal circuit mechanisms underlying odor-induced motivational and emotional behaviors

Research Project Outline

With the goal of understanding neuronal circuit logic that translates sensory inputs into motivational and emotional behaviors, we study the function of central olfactory neuronal circuits underlying food odor-induced appetitive motivation and positive emotion and that underlying predator odor-induced fearful motivation and negative emotion. We study also the information processing mode of central olfactory neuronal circuits during the off-line periods when olfactory sensory inputs are gated, such as during sleeping and resting.