Cell Physiology Lab
@ Seoul National University College of Medicine
Neurophysiology, Synaptic Transmission,
& Neural Network Dynamics
How the mind works is a question that has captivated philosophers and scientists alike over millenia. We aim to contribute to our knowledge of the neural system by investigating its fundamental aspects at the cellular level, utilizing ex vivo and in vivo electrophysiology combined with calcium imaging, computational modeling, behavioral study, optogenetics, and others.
Please see here to overview what we are doing.
Corticopontine neurons of the prefrontal cortex.
Persistent activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), recognized as the neural basis for working memory, is a combined outcome of the organization of excitatory and inhibitory populations and the synaptic dynamics within their connections. We consider the contribution of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at PFC synapses to persistent activity, in the context of a balanced network model.
Presynaptic terminals are the center of action for short-term plasticity (STP). Quantitative analysis at the Calyx of Held has allowed us to elucidate the calcium clearance mechanisms that render vesicles release-ready, in addition to dissecting two sequential steps of release, providing better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release and STP.
The CA3 is an integration point for dentate gyrus (DG) and cortical inputs, and involved with both pattern separation and pattern completion. Heterosynaptic interaction between mossy fiber (MF) and perforant path (PP) inputs may thus be of crucial importance for understanding how CA3 pyramidal cells resolve those two complementary cognitive tasks.
One behavioral study shows clear causal relationship