{"682274":{"#nid":"682274","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Yichao Zhao","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYichao Zhao\u003Cbr\u003EBME PhD Proposal Presentation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate\u003C\/strong\u003E: 2025-05-19\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime\u003C\/strong\u003E: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation \/ Meeting Link\u003C\/strong\u003E: UAW 2110\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMing-fai Fong, PhD (Advisor); Timothy Cope, PhD; Garrett Stanley, PhD; Bilal Haider, PhD; Hey-Kyoung Lee, PhD\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle\u003C\/strong\u003E: In vivo assessment of thalamocortical plasticity in the mature mouse visual system using optogenetic stimulation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThalamocortical (TC) plasticity plays a critical role in the early development of sensory systems by enabling the formation of precise topographic connections between the thalamus and layer 4 (L4) of the neocortex. While this form of synaptic plasticity declines with age and is traditionally thought to be restricted to an early postnatal \u0022critical period\u0022, recent in vivo studies suggest that thalamocortical plasticity can be reactivated in the mature visual cortex under certain conditions. To investigate the conditions that enable thalamocortical plasticity beyond the canonical critical period in mice, we developed a system for evaluating the strength of TC-L4 synapses in vivo via optical stimulation of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) and field recording in L4 of the primary visual cortex (V1). The main goals of this thesis include: 1) characterizing the capabilities and limitations of optogenetic stimulation of dLGN in driving thalamocortical activity and plasticity in V1; 2) determining how visual experience and deprivation alter the capacity for TC plasticity in V1 of mature mice; and 3) evaluating how inhibitory and neuromodulatory circuits contribute to TC plasticity in V1 of mature mice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn vivo assessment of thalamocortical plasticity in the mature mouse visual system using optogenetic stimulation\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In vivo assessment of thalamocortical plasticity in the mature mouse visual system using optogenetic stimulation"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-05-07 17:50:26","changed_gmt":"2025-05-07 17:50:54","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-05-19T13:00:36-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-05-19T15:00:36-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-05-19T15:00:36-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-05-19 17:00:36","gmt_time_end":"2025-05-19 19:00:36","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-05-19 19:00:36","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"UAW 2110","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}