Neural mechanisms of memory impairment in aging and Alzheimer’s disease

The Gillespie lab strives to understand how the neural mechanisms underlying memory processes degrade over the course of healthy aging and in the context of neurodegenerative disease. The lab uses in vivo electrophysiology to record simultaneously from hundreds of neurons from rats as they learn and perform complex memory-dependent tasks. By using advanced computational methods to capture how neuronal ensembles represent and store experiences as memories, we can identify changes in these mechanisms and relate them to age- or Alzheimer’s-related memory impairment. We are working to develop novel interventional tools to prevent or reduce detrimental changes in neural activity and preserve cognitive ability over the lifespan.