Naturalistic Neuroscience Lab

Brain as an engine for computation

Plans for naturalistic neuroscience in large animals

A sheep brain atlas under preparation

Typical silicon probe recording in headfixed mice

8 shanks and 1024 channels - Sinaps probe recording (photo: Andreas Genewsky)

dual site acute silicon probe recording in awake mice

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We aim to shed light on neural circuits and their dynamic interactions across brain areas and across states. A main focus is on circuits underlying episodic and working memory.

One of our approaches is to step out of the traditional laboratory to monitoring animals’ behavioral and neural activities in naturalistic and socially enriched settings. We pursue this goal using sheep as the model species and this allows us to experiment outdoors in large scale environments and under naturalistic conditions. A key question is how the hippocampal activity in naturalistic settings relates to that observed in more constrained and controlled experimental conditions.

Another more conventional approach centers around traditional rodent electrophysiology. We look at oscillations in the hippocampus and related structures and their entrainement by external stimulation. We also explore how valence can affect ventral hippocampal activity.

(check out our Research page for more info).

We are located at the University of Nicosia (UNIC) School of Veterinary Medicine. Some of our collaborators are:

• Unic Medical School - Prof. Avgis Hadgipapas
• UNIC Engineering School
• Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Andreas Koupparis and Kleopas Kleopa
• We perform large animal experiments at our affiliated farm facilities of VetExMachina

Our funding comes from Cyprus’ Research and Innovation Foundation and the University of Nicosia Medical School Internal Seed Funding.

We are looking for PhD students and our doors are open for internships to anyone interested in the nervous systems of humans and animals (more info) !