Caitlin Mallory, Ph.D.

The Mallory Lab studies how the hippocampus generates and organizes patterns of neural activity that support memory. We are particularly interested in hippocampal replay, in which populations of neurons spontaneously reactivate in rapid sequences that represent past experiences and possible future trajectories. Our work seeks to identify the cell-intrinsic, synaptic, and circuit mechanisms that generate replay, and to understand how these mechanisms shape the content and dynamics of internally generated neural activity.

We also investigate how neuromodulatory signals and behavioral experience shape hippocampal activity and memory. We are particularly interested in how signals related to learning, reward, and salience modify hippocampal circuits, allowing experience to shape which information is prioritized during replay and subsequent memory processing. By manipulating these signals during behavior, we aim to understand how they reshape replay and influence what is remembered.

Finally, we are interested in how an individual’s history of experience shapes subsequent memory processing. Experiences such as chronic stress, early-life adversity, depression, and trauma can have lasting effects on learning and memory. We seek to understand how prior experience shapes the way new experiences are processed and remembered, and how this may contribute to persistent or maladaptive memories.