I want to understand how we learn novel skilled actions. To learn a new skilled action, the brain has to (1) causally link exploratory movements to their resulting outcomes, (2) reselect these movements, and (3) refine their relevant components. All these aspects have been assigned to the corticostriatal network in one way or another, yet we have little understanding of the contributions of specific cell-types and subcircuits to each aspect.

As a postdoc in the Costa lab, I have developed a continuous 2D joystick task to investigate the process of action discovery and refinement in the tractable forelimb sensorimotor circuitry. Using longitudinal neuronal recordings and optical manipulations, I aim to dissect the cortical areas and corticostriatal populations involved in the discovery and refinement of different action components.