dr. B.C. Jongbloets (Bart)

How are neural networks built up and how do these networks process information; these are the central questions in my research. I focus my work on the neural networks of the insular cortex -a brain region important for interoception, i.e., to understand and feel what is going on inside your body. This interoceptive sense is important for making choices throughout the day, for example, when to eat or take a rest. Depending on the circumstances you're in, you may be more likely to feel hungry or cold. In order to adapt and properly respond to different circumstances, our brain produces chemicals called neuromodulators that fine-tune the way how the same neural network layout in the insula process information slightly differently under these circumstances.

Currently, we are mapping the different cell types of the mouse insular cortex and are studying how these different types process information. In addition, we study how these cells and the communication within a neural network are influenced by neuromodulatory signals such as dopamine.

We use advanced techniques like whole-cell patch-clamp to record electric signals from the insular cells in brain slices. Manipulate their activities with optogenetic tools and reveal (sub-)cellular activities of second-messenger systems, including cAMP/PKA and calcium, using virally expressed biosensors in brain slices imaged under two-photon microscopy (intensity, ratiometric or fluorescence lifetime-based imaging).

• Development and lifelong plasticity
• Perception, Action and Decision-making
• Natural Computing & Neurotechnology

• Cellular Neurophysiology