Talk TBA

Mario Penzo, PhD
Chief
Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation
National Institute of Mental Health

Mario Penzo’s mission is to identify the molecular, cellular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying emotional and motivated behaviors. To fulfill this mission, the Penzo Lab implements a multidisciplinary approach that includes behavioral assays, as well as cutting-edge technologies for monitoring and manipulating the activity of defined neuronal populations in mice. Current research efforts are centered on investigating the contributions of the dorsal midline thalamus to aversive and reward-seeking behaviors. For this, the lab uses in vivo calcium imaging techniques in conjunction with optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches while animals perform appetitive and defensive behavioral tasks. In addition, the lab uses patch-clamp electrophysiology in acute brain slices, along with pharmacological and genetic tools to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie behavior.