Abstract: 
While the historical focus in understanding brain behavior has been predominantly on neurons, recent discoveries now highlight astrocytes as active participants in encoding events and stimuli, challenging the traditional neuron-centric view of brain function. My current work examines the functional roles of astrocyte-neuron interactions, especially how astrocytes, communicating through calcium (Ca++) bursts rather than electrical spikes, contribute to dopamine regulation and brain functions, areas previously thought to be exclusive to neuronal activity. This work includes examining the potential interplay between astrocytic functions and the distinct roles of striosomal pathways in modulating neural processes and the dopaminergic system related to mood, affect and motivation in freely moving mice.

I will present recent work on astrocytic activity in the striatum, focusing on its role in behavior and dopamine regulation, as revealed through photometric recordings, alongside optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations. This work demonstrates a close interplay between astrocytes and dopamine release in the dorsal striatum, linking astrocyte Ca++ activity with behavioral changes during decision-making tasks in mice. Notably, astrocytes exhibit significant bursts of activity that correlate with phases of behavioral engagement and disengagement in learned tasks, suggesting a more integral role in cognitive processes than previously understood.