Research

Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or depression, are characterized by changes in emotional regulation. The amygdala helps to regulate emotional states: this key brain region is organized into specific connections that drive information processing, and impairment in their function is associated with differences in emotion-based learning. Despite the amygdala's critical role, how the diversity of amygdala neurons and their connectivity emerge during development - and how they are affected in disorders - remains largely unknown. Our lab aims to unravel the molecular developmental trajectories of amygdala neuron types and identifying the intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic (environmental) factors controlling the emergence of amygdala connectivity. For this, we use technologies such single cell transcriptomics, connectomics and computational analyses, which can give new insights into amygdala neuron origins, organization into circuits, and function.