Dr. Stefan Leutgeb

Biography

Stefan Leutgeb is a Professor at the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on the neuronal mechanisms underlying long-term memory storage at the systems level. He investigates how coordinated neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity in distributed cell assemblies contribute to the formation of new memory networks. His lab has developed techniques to record the activity of up to 100 neurons simultaneously in the brain, which allows for the testing of coordinated activity during long learning processes. This approach is complemented by computational and molecular methods, enabling the manipulation of neuronal networks to explore the mechanisms necessary for memory formation. His findings have shown how neuronal networks in the mammalian hippocampus combine spatial and non-spatial information, revealing the orthogonal encoding of different types of information. Additionally, Leutgeb is interested in the translational implications of his research for understanding the neurodegenerative processes that underpin dementia and memory retrieval failures in aging brains. His complementary research program aims to investigate alterations in memory processing due to aging and neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on the integrity of degenerating neuronal networks.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses