Dr A. Rayan (Abdelrahman)

Although we made considerable progress in understanding the basic neural mechanisms underlying memory formation, we lack the knowledge of how information is extracted from single memory episodes to form semantic memories. My current work at Genzel’s Lab focuses on examining the neural mechanisms involved in memory formation and their parallel transformation into semantic knowledge using the object space task. Furthermore, I am developing automatic sleep scoring tools to explore the exact contribution of different sleep stages to memory formation and information transfer from the hippocampus to the cortex.

I recently completed my Ph.D. studies in the lab of Prof. Manahan-Vaughan and was co-supervised by Prof. Nikolai Axamcher at the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. During my Ph.D., I identified the different electrophysiological correlates – in the hippocampal CA1 region and DG- associated with specific behavioral outcomes while rodents were engaged in performing a T-maze spatial appetitive task. Furthermore, I examined the dynamics of head direction cells in a behavioral paradigm where both allothetic and idiothetic cues were in conflict with each other.

• Development and lifelong plasticity