December 15, 2017
Using a behavioral task that compares fear and reward-seeking behaviors in response to environmental cues representing fear, safety and rewards this study investigated the role of dopamine signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in this learning. The major finding in this study was both a dopamine D1 receptor agonist and antagonist administered either systemically or intra-BLA disrupted the ability to successfully suppress fear in the presence of a safety cue. Interestingly, systemic administration of the D1 receptor agonist only reduced reward-seeking behaviors in a task that included fear and safety learning and did not affect reward-seeking behaviors in a task that only included reward learning. That is, under the influence of a D1 receptor agonist in a task with fear, safety, and reward cues, fear behavior increased and reward-seeking behavior was reduced. These findings highlight the power a successfully learned safety cue can have on modulating both fear and reward behaviors in an environment that contains both potentially aversive and appetitive cues, and that dopamine signaling within the BLA modulates learning of safety cues.
December 15, 2017
We all experience something like “singing a song” or “hearing a music” in our mind without actually hearing it. This cognitive ability, known as “music imagery”, is mysterious. It has empowered Ludwig van Beethoven to compose great symphonies after he was deaf. Latest research from Zhongming Liu’s lab has shown new insights into what happens in the brain when musicians imagine a piece of a symphony. Using brain scans, his group finds that Wernicke’s area, an area for speech comprehension, plays a key role in creating music in mind. This function is not isolated to Wernicke’s area but emerges through its interactions with other brain areas within and beyond the auditory cortex.
December 15, 2017
The Purdue Institute of Integrative Neuroscience (PIIN) inaugurated a “Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Seminar Series” in the Fall of 2017.The first season of seminars with eight outstanding speakers from four different colleges at Purdue: Vet Med, Engineering, Science, and Pharmacy. Over 100 PIIN members attended one or more of the seminars.
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December 5, 2017
Dr. Claudio Aguilar has been named a 2018 University Faculty Scholar for his research efforts and discoveries in the areas of basic and applied cell biology. This is one of the highest research honors at Purdue where the University Faculty Scholars Program recognizes outstanding faculty who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction.
December 1, 2017
The Purdue Autism Cluster, a PIIN affiliate, was awarded one of four community-building grants from the Office of the Provost. The grant will fund the inaugural Purdue Autism Research Conference in Fall 2018. The conference will focus on the topic “Measuring and Predicting Change in Autism” with tracks for applied and basic science. The agenda will include basic and applied research keynote speakers, research symposia showcasing cutting-edge autism research, and a student research poster session.
December 1, 2017
The PIIN affiliated, Autism Cluster and cluster members were recently highlighted in Purdue Today and in the College of Education’s Launch Magazine.
College of Education magazine highlights autism research, education around the globe, more
November 29, 2017
Dr. Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, member of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience (PIIN) and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, recently published a significant work in the open-source journal PLoS Computational Biology and presented related work at the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference in Washington, DC. The PLoS Comp Biol publication, entitled “Competitive Tuning: Competition’s Role in Setting the Frequency-Dependence of Ca2+-Dependent Proteins”, describes a detailed model of protein signal transduction events that are important for learning and memory.
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November 29, 2017
The Interdisciplinary Life Science (PULSe) graduate program joined forces with PIIN to recruit graduate students at the SfN Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C this past November 11-15, 2017.
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November 28, 2017
Dr. Jung-Il Moon, Coordinator of the Neuroscience Cell Engineering Core Facility, will be participating in the Stem Cell COREdinates on November 29-30, 2017, in New Jersey. Stem Cell COREdinates is a consortium of human pluripotent stem cell-focused core facilities that have joined forces to share our experiences and expertise with protocols, reagents, and to establish “best practices.” This open line of communication makes our member laboratories stronger, ultimately benefitting our client laboratories. One outcome of our efforts is a collection of protocols that are publicly available on Stembook.org and here on our protocol page.
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November 21, 2017
Three Purdue University professors have been awarded the distinction of fellow from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society.
Dr. Zhong-Yin Zhang elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
