Andy Chen L&S Sciences
Investigating the Effects of Body Movement on Whisker Stimulus Detection in Mice
There is evidence that body motion can either improve (Gallero-Salas et al., 2020, Gilad et al., 2018 ) or inhibit (McBride et al., 2019) performance during head-fixed behavior in mice. Therefore, it is important to understand how body movements affect sensory detection performance in behavioral tasks. My research project will look closely at the effects of body movement on a mouses performance in a whisker-based sensory detection task. From previous literature, we know that body movements modulate sensory signals in cortical areas of mice. My research will involve using behavioral paradigms in which mice are head-fixed, which is necessary to keep the head stable for measurement of neural signals while the mouse is performing a sensory detection task. Specifically, I am going to design a video-based system to measure body movements in head-fixed mice performing a sensory detection task.
Message To Sponsor
Through SURF, I was able to grow tremendously as an aspiring scientist this summer. In studying learning, attention, and behavior in mice, I have been able to cultivate my interest in neurobiology. My experience with SURF has reinforced my goals of entering academia and continuing a career in research. With my passion for discovery, I hope to inspire the next generation of students to pursue their dreams in learning as well.