The mammillary bodies and memory: from encoding to consolidation (360G-Wellcome-212273_Z_18_Z)

The mammillary bodies (MBs) are critical for memory but their specific functions have remained largely elusive. Historically, the MBs were associated with memory encoding, however, our recent findings suggest an as yet unexplored role in memory consolidation, both at the cellular and at the systems level. The proposed research will use multi-level, comparative approaches to investigate the contribution of the MBs to post-encoding processing, during wakefulness and sleep. The combined rodent/human methodologies will take advantage of the unique benefits provided by each line of research. The application of convergent techniques with rodents (inactivation, calcium-imaging, electrophysiology, behaviour) will interrogate the contributions of the MBs to different stages of memory processing, both in an intact system and when the system is disrupted. Complementary research with humans will address similar questions. fMRI will help to assess diencephalic contributions in the intact system. The impact of damage to the MB system on aspects of sleep-related consolidation will also be assessed. Together, this research will provide a comprehensive analysis of post-encoding memory processes and support the development of wide-reaching models of MB function.