Adult neurogenesis is a dynamic process and provides this region of the brain with exceptional structural plasticity.
The dentate granule cell layer of the hippocampus is a primary neurogenic region in the adult brain where newborn neurons are locally generated within the subgranular zone and eventually integrated into existing circuits. These newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus contribute to behavioral adaptability like learning and memory.
In the developing brain, neurons arrive at their final location by either radial or tangential migration. However, neuronal migration in the adult hippocampus is not well studied due to technical limitations. Dr. Juan Song at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explores the activity-dependent mechanisms underlying hippocampal neurogenesis regulation, to answer questions related to the in vivo dynamics of migrating cells. Her lab uses in-vivo endoscopic microscopes to track cell migration in deep brain regions of freely-moving mice and understand the factors that regulate this process in local circuits. View her talk to learn more.