Identifying mechanisms for altered learning in the aging brain.

The Disterhoft Lab studies the neurobiology of associative learning in the mammalian brain at the molecular, cellular and systems levels with both in vivo and in vitro techniques, focusing on the characterization of how neurons store new information during associative learning. With this focus in mind, lab members use a combination of behavioral, biophysical and molecular biological approaches to identify mechanisms for altered learning in aging. The laboratory is also uniquely positioned to translate findings from animal research to humans to better understand learning in the young and aging brain.