Department of Neuroscience

Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests: The synaptic and circuit mechanisms of behavioral control

Keywords: Synaptic transmission, cortico-basal ganglia circuits, inhibitory interneurons, mouse genetics, in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, in vivo electrophysiology, goal-directed behavior, motor control, behavioral modeling, neuropsychiatric/neurodevelopmental disease modeling (focus on autism, ID, OCD, Tourette and ADHD).

Research Details: On a moment-by-moment basis, animals use environmental information, prior experience, and internal goals to navigate the world. What are the organizing principles of this behavioral output and how do neural circuits mediate this process? How do perturbations in neural circuit function drive the altered cognitive and motor outputs seen across neurodevelopmental disorders? Our lab uses all available neuroscience technologies to address these questions.

Thus far, my laboratory has focused on how cortico-basal ganglia circuits regulate mouse behavior – from simple motor patterns to complex goal-directed actions. Projects fall within several domains including:
1. Experiential Learning: how do we use prior experiences to shape future actions?
2. Environmental Influences: how do we extract meaningful sensory information from a busy world?
3. Internal Goals: how do internal states (strategy, motivation, task structure) impact motor output?
4. Cortico-basal ganglia architecture: how does the anatomy and molecular identity of cortico-BG circuits constrain functional output?
5. Disease modeling: how does molecular dysfunction drive synaptic, circuit and behavioral dysregulation?

Further details on our lab webpage
https://www.med.upenn.edu/fuccillolab/

Rotation Projects:
Please contact Dr. Fuccillo regarding potential rotation projects.

Lab Personel:
see lab website for updated list