The role of claustrum in value-based decision-making

We learn from past experience by evaluating how our previous choices resulted in a good or bad outcome. This calculation of how much we 'value' obtaining rewards enables us to optimise our behaviour to obtain rewards in the future. How do we create these values to perform responsible decision-making? How is the value represented in the brain? A distributed circuitry involving many brain regions has been implicated in the calculation, representation, and use of values. However, one brain region, the claustrum, has extensive connectivity to many of these regions but has not been well studied yet. This project focus on understanding the claustrum's role in value calculation and representation. I will use state-of-the-art methods in mice, including behaviour, computational models, advanced optical imaging, and electrophysiological recording. The project is an essential step towards understanding the role of the claustrum in executive function and determining the neural mechanisms of decision-making.