Berlin Brains: How Context Modulates Memory – in Flies and Humans

Our experiences shape who we are. But according to what rules does the brain store experiences in long-term memory? And how does the physiological context (e.g., nutrition or stress) influence the processing of information?

Lisa Scheunemann and Şevval Demirci are investigating the extent to which serotonin-mediated neuromodulation might establish an interaction between physiological state and memory systems. Together, they will present how they are using a combination of genetic tools, behavioral studies, and imaging to analyze the molecular and cellular learning mechanisms in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and what the results mean for us humans.