Madeline Albanese '20

Major: Natural Sciences
Bio: Madeline Albanese, a native to Syracuse, New York, is a senior at Fordham College Lincoln Center studying Natural Sciences with a minor in Classical Civilization. She has been working on this project with Dr. Michele Insanally at NYU Langone Health's Robert C. Froemke Lab since summer 2019.

Title of Research: Behavioral Lick-Training for Patch Clamp Technique Recordings in Mice
Mentors: Dr. Badr Albanna (Fordham) and Dr. Michele Insanally (NYU Skirball Institute)
Abstract: Neurons that seem unresponsive to any external stimuli have previously been excluded from scientific analysis. Referred to as “nominally non-responsive,” these cells are not silent but appear non-responsive in their spiking patterns, and likely encode important information about behavioral tasks. Study of membrane potential (Vm) of these neurons can help us understand brain function in an awake and behaving animal, and the synaptic inputs of these neurons. Whole-cell patch clamp recording is an accepted method to record Vm with low noise via a giga-seal connection. To follow through with this type of recording, the animals in the project must undergo a regular training regimen in order to learn an auditory task.