Experience
Teaching: 2.5 years
Research: 09
Current Courses Taught
Introduction to Neurobiology
Introduction to Neurophysiology
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Research Interests
I have an expertise of 8 years in the field of visual neuroscience. During my PhD I focused on studying how modulation of cholinergic receptors affects the computations within the cortical microcircuit (primary visual cortex (V1)). I investigated the effects of activation of specific cholinergic receptors such as nicotinic and muscarinic receptors on information processing in V1. I demonstrated that laminar position in V1 plays a critical role in determining the functional consequences of cholinergic stimulation. While the nicotinic receptors enhance the sensory representations, the muscarinic receptors act to boost the cortical computation (Bhattacharyya et al., 2012). Next, I investigated how activation of basal forebrain (BF) using the technique of deep brain stimulation (DBS) affects neural activity in V1. I demonstrated that BF activation results in strong influence on the contrast response properties of V1. The results from the study showed that in addition to cholinergic modulation, the gaba amino butyric acid (GABA) projections in the BF region plays a crucial role in the impact of BF deep brain stimulation of cortical activity (Bhattacharyya et al., 2013).
The major cause of blindness in inherited and age-related retinal degeneration is the death of photoreceptors such as rods and cones. Although the photoreceptors degenerate, there are other neurons in the downstream retina such as bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that survive and have potential targets to endow vision. These neurons are targeted for “optogenetic” gene-therapy where a modified virus is injected intravitreally into retina to introduce light sensing into the surviving photoreceptors. Remarkably, these photoreceptors subsequently become functional and have the potential to restore vision. Since the neural responses in V1 correlate to visual perception, it is important to decipher how the neurons in V1 interpret the signals carried by optogenetically restored retinal neurons. Recently I have performed a systematic evaluation of cortical responses from transgenic mice that express the Opto-mGluR6 construct. Opto-mGluR6 is designed for retinal ON-bipolar cells and is a chimeric protein composed of the light sensing domain of a vertebrate opsin and the intracellular G protein coupling domain of the ON-bipolar cell specific glutamate receptor, mGluR6. Interestingly, I found that RGCs in the blind treated mice was able to regain its natural signaling pattern and can transmit the signals from the retina to downstream visual center.
In my future research I would like to investigate the cortical output as a function of retinal degeneration that has not been studied so far. The findings of from my proposed research will bring novel insights about the alterations in cortical signaling that occur during the course of retinal degeneration.
Contact Information
Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neurosciences (AINN)