Olivia Belt ’25
Effect of prefrontal cortical fear engram activation on competing needs: hunger and fear
Olivia Belt ’25, Biology and Psychology major
Faculty mentor: Dr. Ryan Post, Neuroscience
To properly respond to and survive changing environmental conditions, both humans and animals rely on their ability to prioritize certain motivations. We investigated the competing need states of fear and hunger in mice to understand how the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the role of memory influence decision-making. Using chemogenetic and neural capture techniques, we evaluated the capacity for activity in mPFC memory traces (engrams) to influence mice’s behavior when fear and hunger were in conflict. By selectively activating “fear neurons” that responded to predator odor, we found that activity in mPFC engrams is sufficient to bias the animal’s behavior.
Oral Presentation: Wednesday, April 23, 3:48 p.m.
