Ece Sakalar, PhD
2025 Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience
New York University, Center for Neural Science
Sub-disciplinary Category
Systems Neuroscience
Previous Positions
- BS, Heidelberg University
- MSc, Heidelberg University
- PhD, Medical University of Vienna (Dr. Bálint Lasztóczi)
Bio
After growing up in Istanbul, Dr. Ece Sakalar went to Germany to earn her BS and MS degrees at Heidelberg University, where she became interested in circuit dynamics and information flow between brain regions. She went on to complete her PhD at the Center for Brain Research in Vienna, working with Dr. Bálint Lasztóczi and Dr. Thomas Klausberger. During her research, she discovered a new role for interneurons in the hippocampus, helping us better understand how brain signals come together. Now a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Adam Carter’s lab at New York University, she studies the organization of thalamo-cortical circuits involved in thinking and decision-making. Her current work focuses on how inputs from subcortical regions is sent to the cortex via thalamus, offering new insights into how the brain processes information to support complex behaviors.
Research Summary
Examining the thalamocortical connections and how the subcortical inputs are routed to the frontal cortex via higher-order thalamus.
Technical Overview
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in executive functions and cognitive processes, and its activity is heavily influenced by subcortical inputs relayed through higher-order thalamic nuclei, particularly the mediodorsal (MD) and ventromedial (VM) thalamus. These nuclei integrate excitatory and inhibitory signals from diverse subcortical regions, including the basal ganglia, midbrain, and cerebellum, acting as critical gatekeepers of information flow to the PFC. While the role of the thalamus in sensory processing has been widely explored, its influence on frontal cortex is poorly understood. To bridge this gap, Dr. Ece Sakalar aims to systematically map the organization and functional role of subcortical projections to MD and VM thalamus and their downstream connections in the PFC. Using state-of-the-art viral tracing and fluorescence microscopy, she will generate high-resolution maps of these intricate neural pathways. Building on this anatomical framework, she will employ slice and in vivo electrophysiology with optogenetic tools to characterize the physiological properties of these connections and their impact on cortical networks. By dissecting how subcortical signals are routed through higher-order thalamic nuclei to impact PFC activity, this research will uncover fundamental principles of neural circuit organization underlying cognition and behavior. These findings have the potential to advance our understanding of the thalamo-cortical system and provide critical insights into the neural mechanisms disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and mood disorders, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies.