An investigation of synaptic and molecular mechanisms for neural representation of space

Gulsen is interested in the molecular and cellular properties of neural circuits that underlie animal behaviour. She is using a variety of experimental techniques to combine information about the distinct molecular identities of neuronal populations, how they are anatomically arranged and connected and their functional roles in behaviour. She studied molecular biology and genetics at Bilkent University, Turkey followed by a PhD in biology from Columbia University, New York. Her PhD thesis under the supervision of Dr Thomas Jessell, revealed a previously unexpected mechanism of wiring the sensory-motor connections in the spinal cord. After a brief postdoc at Janelia Farm, Virginia, Gulsen is currently working with Dr Matthew Nolan at the University of Edinburgh focusing on the neural circuits underlying spatial perception.