Generation and use of internal models of the world to guide flexible behavior
Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz
Assistant Professor
Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University

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Résumé
Episodic memory involves learning and recalling associations between items and their spatio-temporal context. Those memories can be further used to generate internal models of the world that enable making predictions. While the circuit mechanisms implementing those computations are not well understood, the hippocampus has been implicated in both processes. Neural ensemble interactions across the hippocampus and associated cortical structures support learning and memory. Hippocampal ensemble reactivation broadcast memory representations to the rest of the brain, a process that supports memory consolidation, retrieval and planning. In this talk I will describe the neural circuit dynamics and plasticity mechanisms that support the formation and use of internal models of the environment to guide flexible navigation. I will also describe recent work from my lab in studying the neural circuit mechanisms of rodent foraging and social behaviors in natural outdoor environments.

Invité par Jérôme Epsztein
Vendredi 24 octobre 2025 à 11h – Salle de conférence de l’Inmed