Christine Ann Denny, PhD

My laboratory is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. We have developed a novel technique to label the cells that encode individual memories in the brains of mice. We are then able to indelibly tag these neurons using fluorescent molecules. Using these mice, we have shown how a number of conditions affect memory traces in the hippocampus, specifically in the dentate gyrus and CA3 subregions. Moreover, we have been able to optogenetically inhibit these cells and show their necessity for memory expression.

Currently, we are using these mice to investigate what happens to hippocampal memory traces in normal, aged, and Alzheimer’s diseased mice. By combining this unique murine line with disease models and optogenetic reporter lines, we hope to identify the altered memory circuits in these conditions and how to manipulate them in order to improve memory retrieval. We hope that these studies may halt, or even reverse, the process of Alzheimer's disease-related memory loss or cognitive ageing.

In a second line of research, we are also interested in understanding how rapid-acting antidepressants, such as ketamine, are able to improve mood and depressive-like behavior. Ketamine has been shown to have rapid-acting and long-lasting effects in rodents and humans following stressful situations. We have identified a number of conditions in which ketamine improves behavior and are interested in identifying the molecular mechanisms by which ketamine improves mood. Current studies are aimed at utilizing ketamine in conjunction with our murine line.