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SUMMARY:Fellows Lecture in Pairs: 'Learning-related sensory responses in t
 he cortex and basal ganglia' and 'Neural mechanisms of behavioural flexibi
 lity across threat and reward' - Dr Andy Peters (DPAG\, University of Oxfo
 rd)\, Dr Mehran Ahmadlou (DPAG\, University of Oxford)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251205T130000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251205T140000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3622b930-6f38-4481-98d4-4764fe91e697/
DESCRIPTION:Dr Andy Peters\n\nLearning-related sensory responses in the co
 rtex and basal ganglia \n\nOne foundation of learned behavior is the abili
 ty to associate arbitrary combinations of stimuli and actions. After learn
 ing these sensorimotor associations\, the brain transforms previously mean
 ingless stimulus information into a specific motor command\, but it is unc
 lear where this transformation occurs and how it develops across learning.
  We are investigating how the cortex-basal ganglia circuit is involved in 
 this type of learning by recording widespread activity in mice during task
  learning and performance. Our findings are building towards a cascade of 
 events during learning\, where sensory responses are increased in the basa
 l ganglia\, converge according to behavioral relevance\, and routed to mot
 or regions of the cortex. \n\nSPEAKER BIOGRAPHY\n\n2010-2016: PhD - Univer
 sity of California\, San Diego with Takaki Komiyama\, studied learning in 
 the motor cortex\n2016-2022: Postdoc - UCL with Matteo Carandini and Kenne
 th Harris\, studied interactions between the cortex and striatum\n2022: Si
 r Henry Dale Fellowship - Oxford\n\n\nDr Mehran Ahmadlou\n\nNeural mechani
 sms of behavioural flexibility across threat and reward\n\nBehavioural fle
 xibility\, the capacity to adjust actions to changing environmental demand
 s and internal physiological states\, is essential for survival. Across co
 ntexts of threat and reward\, animals rely on distributed brain circuits t
 hat dynamically reconfigure behavioural strategies to maintain adaptive co
 ntrol. Using cell-type-specific circuit approaches in freely moving mice\,
  our work reveals how subtle variations in contextual and internal variabl
 es reshape strategy selection—from defensive to exploratory modes of beh
 aviour. These studies uncover distinct yet conceptually aligned mechanisms
  that enable adaptive switching between behavioural states\, illustrating 
 how the brain integrates environmental information and physiological needs
  to guide flexible\, goal-directed action. Understanding these principles 
 offers insight into neuropsychiatric conditions in which behavioural flexi
 bility is disrupted\, whether through excessive rigidity\, as in obsessive
 -compulsive and anxiety disorders\, or excessive instability\, as in atten
 tion deficit and mood disorders.\n\nSPEAKER BIOGRAPHY\n\nAfter his studies
  in electric engineering\, Mehran did his PhD in neurobiology of visual sy
 stem in Alexander Heimel's lab at Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (
 NIN)\, where he found orientation columns and optic flow map in superior c
 olliculus\, and thalamocortical ocular dominance plasticity in mice. Durin
 g his postdoc at NIN\, he found a cell-type-specific neural mechanism for 
 curiosity and information seeking. He continued his work on behavioural fl
 exibility in Sonja Hofer's lab at SWC/UCL\, where he found a cell-type-spe
 cific neural mechanism that controls switch and stay behavioural strategie
 s. He started his lab (NeuroBehaviour Lab) at DPAG in September 2025 to st
 udy neural mechanisms of adaptive behaviour.\n\nSpeakers:\nDr Andy Peters 
 (DPAG\, University of Oxford)\, Dr Mehran Ahmadlou (DPAG\, University of O
 xford)
LOCATION:Sherrington Library (Sherrington Building)\, off Parks Road OX1 3
 PT
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3622b930-6f38-4481-98d4-4764fe91e697/
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DESCRIPTION:Talk:Fellows Lecture in Pairs: 'Learning-related sensory respo
 nses in the cortex and basal ganglia' and 'Neural mechanisms of behavioura
 l flexibility across threat and reward' - Dr Andy Peters (DPAG\, Universit
 y of Oxford)\, Dr Mehran Ahmadlou (DPAG\, University of Oxford)
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