Neurodevelopment in the limbic system

Regions such as the hippocampus and the amygdala undergo substantial volumetric and connectivity changes in childhood and adolescence and continue to exhibit plasticity throughout the lifespan. The complex cellular mechanisms underlying development and plasticity in limbic circuits are still being explored. I contributed to research supporting the conclusion that adult neurogenesis is limited or non-existent in the human hippocampus. Instead of, or in addition to, adult neurogenesis, limbic circuit development and plasticity may be influenced by neurons that mature on a relatively delayed trajectory. Specifically, in the paralaminar nucleus of the human amygdala, there is a population of immature neurons that develop slowly throughout childhood and adolescence and continuing into adulthood. I helped discover that mice also have a paralaminar nucleus with immature neurons comparable to those in humans. Additionally, I contributed to the hypothesis that these neurons are a substrate for structural plasticity in limbic circuits and may be disrupted in mood-related psychiatric disorders such as depression.