Dr. Hasselmo's research concerns the cortical dynamics of memory-guided behavior, including effects of neuromodulation and theta rhythm oscillations in cortical function. Neurophysiological techniques are used to analyze intrinsic and synaptic properties of cortical circuits in rodents and to explore the effects of modulators such as Acetylcholine on these properties. Computational modeling is used to link these physiological data to memory-guided behavior.

The Hasselmo lab performs experiments using multiple single-unit recording in behavioral tasks designed to test predictions of the computational models. His areas of research focus include episodic memory function and theta rhythm dynamics in the entorhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampal formation. His research has implications for understanding the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.

Key Research Areas:

Acetylcholine, episodic memory, theta rhythm, entorhinal cortex, medial septum, hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, presynaptic inhibition, spike frequency accommodation, persistent spiking