Events

Time: 2.00pm

Location: GLT3

Speaker: Dr Suresh Jesuthasan, LKC School of Medicine, Singapore.
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore.

Abstract
Animals face a constantly changing environment, but are usually able to react to stimuli in a manner that is appropriate for a given situation. Failure to do so compromises survival; in humans, inability to react appropriately is a hallmark of psychiatric disease. We use the zebrafish to investigate how the brain achieves a high degree of flexibility. A central assumption is that the functional network mediating behavior is selected by the release of neuromodulators that are appropriate for that context. The question thus boils down to how modulators are precisely regulated. We propose that the evolutionarily conserved habenula has an important role, due to its innervation by multiple sensory and reward systems, and its ability to regulate a broad range of neuromodulators. Current experiments are aimed at understanding how the habenula is able to process a large amount of information to give a coherent output. In this regard, the zebrafish has distinct advantages compared to other vertebrate model systems – in addition to the amenability of the system to genetic manipulation, the habenula is located in a dorsal position and is thus accessible to optical recording and manipulation. It is anticipated that the zebrafish will provide unique insights into how the habenula functions, and thus shed light on mental and neurological disease.