Subcortical-cortical integration (360G-Wellcome-105238_Z_14_A)

"The aim is to undertake a multimodal approach to investigate subcortical-cortical integration in human and animal models at both functional and anatomical levels. By adopting a multi-technique methodology, this approach will allow me to study how subcortical (with a focus on the amygdala) and cortical (predominantly the prefrontal cortex) regions of the brain have evolved, how they are connected and interact. This knowledge is necessary to unravel the mechanisms underpinning cognition and sociality, as well as to explain how evolutionary pressure shaped the human brain. To address how limbic and cortical regions interact I propose to investigate both the anatomical and functional connectivity of subcortical-cortical circuits in humans and animals using MRI and to study alteration in neural activity resulting from focal lesions in the animal brain. Further insight into the mechanisms influencing subcortical-cortical interactions will be obtained by analysing socialdependent changes consequent to careful experimental manipulations of social dominance. The results of the proposed PhD plan will be relevant to both cognitive and comparative neuroscience. By directly manipulating cognition and behaviour, the results have the potential for being translated into an understanding of clinically relevant post-lesion brain plasticity and of psychiatric disorders."