In each moment, our senses are bombarded by a vast array of stimuli. In order to make sense of this barrage, the brain engages learning processes that filter out irrelevant information, group stimuli into categories based upon their similarity, and associate stimuli based upon the predictive relationship between them (for example, if one stimulus routinely comes before another). Although the latter, ‘associative memories’, are fundamental to survival, they also contribute to devastating mental health conditions like substance use disorder ( SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In SUD, cues previously paired with drugs can come to drive drug-seeking. In PTSD, cues present at the time of trauma can later precipitate profound fear. Understanding the neural bases of these memories may allow them to be regulated. Dr. Zachary Pennington’s lab is focused on understanding the underlying brain processes that support associative memory formation and storage, as well as how they might be targeted in mental health treatment. His group utilizes a wide range of cutting edge technologies torecord and manipulate brain circuits, while also developing novel technologies that other scientists can harness to advance discovery. Dr. Pennington’s Brain Canada Future Leaders project is focused on understanding how associative memories about rewards are maintained across the lifespan, using novel tools that allow the same cells in the amygdala to be recorded across long periods of time. This proposal, advancing a paradigm-shifting framework for how long-term memories are maintained, could provide fundamental insight into conditions like SUD and PTSD.
