Biomedical Sciences

Survival requires animals to detect and appropriately respond to acute predator threats within the environment. To do this, animals express a variety of innate defensive behaviors that can be engaged in response to naturalistic stimuli mimicking predators, and importantly, do not require previous associative learning to be expressed. Such innate defensive behaviors, therefore, require dedicated neural circuits for threat detection, sensorimotor integration, and selection/execution of an ethologically appropriate defensive behavior.

The Vaaga lab is interested in elucidating the neural circuits that control innate fear behaviors, with a particular interest in understanding the contribution of the cerebellum to such behaviors. Our recent work has demonstrated that the neural circuits responsible for generating freezing are under modulatory control of the cerebellum. Therefore, cerebellar modulation of innate fear circuits may provide a synaptic substrate by which cerebellar-dependent associative learning alters innate fear pathways, providing increased circuit flexibility.

To address these questions, the lab employs an integrative approach, combining in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological approaches, circuit manipulation, and behavioral analysis to study the neural circuits responsible for generating innate defensive behaviors, with a particular interest in understanding the contribution of the cerebellum in modulating defensive circuits, and ultimately, behavior.

The Vaaga lab is currently full but always willing to consider highly motivated students. Those interested in undergraduate research or technician positions may reach out with their interest and contact information for two or three references. Graduate students may enter the lab through direct admission or rotations in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience (MCIN) program. Interested postdocs may submit a CV, statement of research and interest, and contact information for two or three references.