Adam Dewan

The Dewan Laboratory studies the molecular and cellular basis for sensory perception. The olfactory system is a powerful model in neuroscience for addressing how inputs to the brain contribute to stimulus perception. Nowhere in the mammalian nervous system is there a more direct relationship between single genes and sensory inputs. A single olfactory receptor gene determines both the response profile of each olfactory sensory neuron and directs its axon guidance. Thus, the first representation of olfactory information is highly amenable to genetic manipulation. The lab takes advantage of the genetic tractability of this system to manipulate the receptor repertoire as well as the organization of sensory inputs into the olfactory bulb to explore how olfactory perception is mapped and encoded within the brain of mice.