Ishaana Munjal

• MBBS
• A model of synaptic transmission in the orbitofrontal cortex – transmission by monoamines.

The orbitofrontal cortex is part of the prefrontal cortex in the brain, and is important in “executive functions,” including attention, working memory, and decision making in humans. The project aims to develop a model of transmission at synapses in this area of the brain, and examine how dopamine, a monoamine transmitter, modulates this. This will be done by measuring the field potential of rodent brain slices when dopamine is added, under differing circumstances. The prefrontal cortex is implicated in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; a greater understanding of it could promote the development of better psychiatric treatments.

Funding Source: Newcastle University