The Wilbrecht Lab studies the neural basis of learning and decision making in the adolescent and adult brain. Current studies include studies of wild mice, autism risk genes, and models of mania.
Developmental and experience-dependent changes in learning and decision making
The frontal regions of the neocortex show protracted development in mammals. While dendritic spines are pruned in the frontal neocortex in adolescence there is also late growth of new local and long range connections. We are interested in understanding the function of these changes and their impact on learning and decision making.
Project questions
How does experience in development alter the way the adult brain learns and makes decisions? Does experience with adversity in maternal care or food insecurity alter brain function? How does early learning experience with different statistics alter later circuit function? How does early life adversity enhance risk of substance use issues?
How does pubertal onset alter circuit function, learning and decision making?
How do cortico-basal ganglia circuits support learning and flexible decision making? How do genes x experience sculpt the computations made by these circuits.
How do different learning systems mature? How are these learning systems integrated through development? (with Anne Collins lab)
What changes in the brain support dispersal from the natal nest in rodents? Do we see any similar changes in humans and how does this inform our understanding of adolescent development?
We are also collaborating with the Markita Landry lab to develop new optical tools for neuroscience.
Approaches
Behavior
We use behavioral tests to investigate learning and decision making at different stages of development and in animals with different experiences. We are particularly interested in cognitive flexibility.
In Vivo Imaging
We use in vivo imaging methods to examine the function of specific cell types during behavior. We are particularly interested in the neurons that regulate learning and flexible updating of behavior in the neocortex and basal ganglia.
Electrophysiology
We use electrophysiology to investigate the changes in neurotransmission at different developmental stages and in rodents with different experience. We also use new optical tools to measure neuromodulator release in brain slice preparations.
Publications
Cell-Type-Specific Control of Brainstem Locomotor Circuits by Basal Ganglia Journal Article
In: Cell, vol. 164, no. 3, pp. 526-37, 2016, ISSN: 0092-8674.
A basal ganglia circuit for evaluating action outcomes Journal Article
In: Nature, vol. 539, no. 7628, pp. 289-293, 2016, ISSN: 0028-0836.
Early maternal separation impacts cognitive flexibility at the age of first independence in mice Journal Article
In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 18, pp. 49-56, 2016, ISSN: 1878-9293.
In: Biological Psychiatry, vol. 79, no. 6, pp. 463-73, 2016, ISSN: 0006-3223.
Brief cognitive training interventions in young adulthood promote long-term resilience to drug-seeking behavior Journal Article
In: Neuropharmacology, vol. 97, pp. 404-13, 2015, ISSN: 0028-3908.
Between the primate and ‘reptilian’ brain: Rodent models demonstrate the role of corticostriatal circuits in decision making Journal Article
In: Neuroscience, vol. 296, pp. 66-74, 2015, ISSN: 0306-4522.
Adolescent maturation of inhibitory inputs onto cingulate cortex neurons is cell-type specific and TrkB dependent Journal Article
In: Frontiers in Neural Circuits, vol. 9, pp. 5, 2015, ISSN: 1662-5110.
Identification of a brainstem circuit regulating visual cortical state in parallel with locomotion Journal Article
In: Neuron, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 455-466, 2014, ISSN: 0896-6273.
Cocaine-induced structural plasticity in frontal cortex correlates with conditioned place preference Journal Article
In: Nature Neuroscience, vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 1367-9, 2013, ISSN: 1097-6256.
Imaging neocortical neurons through a chronic cranial window Journal Article
In: Cold Spring Harb Protoc, vol. 2012, no. 6, pp. 694-701, 2012, ISSN: 1559-6095.
Transient stimulation of distinct subpopulations of striatal neurons mimics changes in action value Journal Article
In: Nature Neuroscience, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 1281-9, 2012, ISSN: 1097-6256.
Juvenile mice show greater flexibility in multiple choice reversal learning than adults Journal Article
In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 540-51, 2011, ISSN: 1878-9293.
Nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons target non-dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area Journal Article
In: J Neurosci, vol. 31, no. 21, pp. 7811-6, 2011, ISSN: 0270-6474.
Structural plasticity underlies experience-dependent functional plasticity of cortical circuits Journal Article
In: J Neurosci, vol. 30, no. 14, pp. 4927-32, 2010, ISSN: 0270-6474.
Neural Circuits can Bridge Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Journal Article
In: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 3, pp. 81, 2010, ISSN: 1662-5161.
Imaging of neurons in the mouse neocortext, through a chronic cranial window Book Section
In: Wong, R (Ed.): Imaging in neuroscience and development: a laboratory manual, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 2010.
Long-term, high-resolution imaging in the mouse neocortex through a chronic cranial window Journal Article
In: Nature Protocols, vol. 4, no. 8, pp. 1128-44, 2009, ISSN: 1750-2799.
Imaging of experience-dependent structural plasticity in the mouse neocortex in vivo Journal Article
In: Behavioral Brain Research, vol. 192, no. 1, pp. 20-5, 2008, ISSN: 0166-4328 (Print) 0166-4328.
Imaging of Experience-Dependent Structural Plasticity in the Mouse Neocortex in vivo Book Chapter
In: Synaptic Plasticity and the Mechanism of Alzheimer’s Disease, pp. 37-49, Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2008, ISBN: 978-3-540-76329-1 978-3-540-76330-7; 0945-6066.
Cell type-specific structural plasticity of axonal branches and boutons in the adult neocortex Journal Article
In: Neuron, vol. 49, no. 6, pp. 861-75, 2006, ISSN: 0896-6273 (Print) 0896-6273.
Lab News
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Juliana Chase, PhD
Congratulations to Juliana Chase, PhD on her recent graduation from the UC Berkeley Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Area PhD Program!
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Hoshal & Okada Awards
Undergraduate awards: Ben Hoshal won an MCB poster award and Nana Okada won a Psychology poster award. Congratulations to Ben and Nana!
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New Paper by Piekarski & Boivin
David Piekarski and Josiah Boivin have a new paper published in Current Biology that shows organizational effects of ovarian hormones on the maturation of inhibitory neurotransmission in the mouse frontal cortex during puberty.
Courses
| Fall 2024 |
| Hub: Psychology 22 “Neurons in Context” 3 Units, Biological Sciences breadth This course will introduce students to the basics of neurobiology while exploring how experience of adversity, enrichment, and other variables can shape brain development and behavior. We will survey the basic biology of neurons, mechanisms underlying experience dependent plasticity, hormones, and responses to different forms of stress and adversity. Students will spend time discussing how their knowledge of neurobiology can be integrated with their knowledge of history, sociology, and philosophy and how we can design new strategies to support the development of youth. Hub course taught with Scandinavian 75 and Philosophy 2 Instructor: Linda Wilbrecht |
| Spring 2024 |
| On sabbatical |
| Fall 2023 |
| Psychology 22 – Neurons in Context This will be a small course for freshman as part of the Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Society track in the new L&S Pathways program. Psychology 114 – Biology of Learning The biology of learning and neural plasticity is critical to our understanding of development, culture, behavioral change, the uniqueness of individuals, and limits to an organism’s potential. We will study experimental investigations of behavior and neurobiology at the cellular and circuit level to get a basic introduction to what is known and unknown about learning and neural plasticity. Topics may include associative learning, habit formation, fear, memory systems, neurons, synapses, dendritic spines and axonal boutons, LTP, and adult neurogenesis. We will discuss these topics in the context of normal development and disease. Format: Two hours of lecture per week and one discussion section. |
| Previous Courses at UC Berkeley |
| Psychology 194 – Honors Seminar This course supports students in writing up their thesis research. We cover the scientific method, careers, ethics, rigor and reproducibility and work through writing all the sections of a thesis. Public Health 290 – Behavior Change in Adolescence: A framework for integrating developmental neuroscience and public health Instructors: Ron Dahl, Linda Wilbrecht, & Ahna Suleiman This will be an innovative, interdisciplinary seminar using problem-based learning to explore the integration of public health and neuroscience building on the example of the unique opportunities for behavior change during the developmental period of adolescence – including a broad range of approaches to intervention, prevention, education, health, and well-being. The course will integrate several levels of understanding these unique opportunities: a) heuristic models of adolescent brain development (especially social, affective, and cognitive neuroscience approaches); b) models of behavior change that range from clinical psychology, education, and public health, to behavioral economics; and c) policy implications and opportunities to leverage behavior change to impact public health and well being. |
Lab Team
| Lung-Hao | Tai, PhD | Senior Staff Scientist |
| Wan Chen | Lin, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Hongli | Wang, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Juliana | Chase, PhD | Recent PhD |
| Madeline | Klinger, PhD | Recent PhD |
| Albert | Qü | Graduate Student |
| Samantha | Jackson | Graduate Student |
| Bailey | O’Donnell | Undergraduate Student |
| Albert | Ader | Undergraduate Student |
| Julia | Schultz | Undergraduate Student |
| Clarissa | Rios | Undergraduate Student |
| Isabella | Trejos | Undergraduate Student |
| Shravan | Kannan | Undergraduate Student |
| Lila | Portis | Undergraduate Student |
| Reema | Rafifar | Undergraduate Student |
| Gabriella | Smith | Undergraduate Student |
| Cameron | Jordan | Undergraduate Student |
| Yang | Zhang | Undergraduate Student |
| Katrina | Wong | Recent grad |
Almuni
| Kristen | Delevich | Assistant Professor, Washington State University |
| Azure | Grant | |
| David | Piekarski | Stanford Psychiatry |
| J. Travis | Del Bonis-O’Donnell | Senior Scientist at Quantapore |
| George | Prounis | Data Scientist at Redflag |
| Denise M. | Piscopo | ThermoFisher Scientific |
| Natalia | Caporale | CAMPOS Family Scholar and Lecturer at UC Davis |
| F. Javier | Muñoz-Cuevas | University of Maryland |
| Jacki | Essig | |
| Ezequiel | Galarce | VP of R&D at United Health Group |
| Carolyn | Johnson | Sage Pharmaceuticals |
| Josiah | Boivin | Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT |
| Angela | Vandenberg | Adjunct Faculty Bellingham College |
| A. Moses | Lee | Faculty in Psychiatry Dept UCSF Director OCD Clinic |
| Karen | Berger | |
| Dan | Schwartz | UCSF/UCB Joint Medical Program |
| Aroma | Dabas | MS graduate student in Berlin School of Mind and Brain |
| Nana | Okada | Harvard MD/PhD Program |
| Noah | Cryns | RA at UCSF Memory and Aging Center |
| Chris D. | Hall | University College London PhD Program |
| Chris | Machle | UCLA Clinical Psychology Program |
| Aishwarya | Pattnaik | Medical student USF Morsani School of Medicine |
| Hannah | Peckler | UCSF Nursing Program; currently NP at One Medical |
| Jegath | Athilingam | UCSF Graduate Program |
| Trisha | Vaidyanathan | UCSF Graduate Program |
| Nora | Beñavidez | Graduate Student, USC |
| Fernanda | Castro | SRA at UCSF |
| Oliver | Krentzman | Graduate Student, WUSTL |
| Niusha | Bhadavan | |
| Lexi | Zhou | Graduate Student, Caltech |
| Kenechukwu | Okwuosa | |
| Satya | Vedula | Student, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine |
| Jessica | Wahlberg | |
| Benjamin | Wing Hin Tang | |
| Corrina | Wong | |
| Yuting | Zhang | |
| McGill | University | |
| Tahima | Achekzai | |
| Amy | Zou | |
| Irene | Chang | Medical Student, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine |
| Ben | Hoshal | Graduate student, Northwestern University |
| Becky | Lee | |
| Michelle | Matvey | |
| Jenna | Martin | |
| Ameet | Rahane | |
| Weihang | Chen | Graduate student, WSU |
| Linnea | Sepe-Forest | |
| Alagia | Cirolia | |
| Mei | Murphy | |
| Tory | Benson | |
| Anthony | Dunn | Graduate student, Dartmouth |
| Harrison | Ramsay | Graduate student, University of Colorado Anschutz |
| Annie | Huang | |
| Katrina | Manaloto | |
| Curie | Chiou | |
| Alice Zicheng | Zhang | |
| Bret | Holt | |
| Nicholas | Keil |