The role of chandelier cells in flexible behaviour

Chandelier cells are GABAergic interneurons which can receive inputs from distal brain regions and synapse onto hundreds of nearby excitatory cells, precisely targeting their action initial segment (AIS), which is the site of action potential initiation. They can thus exert a powerful control over the output of a cortical network, and have been suggested to play a key role in organising the flow of information across the brain into a hierarchical structure. This project will measure and manipulate the activity of chandelier cells using 2-photon calcium imaging with simultaneous optogenetic perturbations, while mice perform a flexible cognitive task.