BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Hammad F. Khan (K. Jayant and T. Kinzer-Ursem, co-advisors) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:30 AM. TITLE: INTER-AREAL CIRCUIT MECHANISMS UNDERLYING VOLITIONAL MOTOR MOVEMENTS DATE: JANUARY 22, 2024 TIME: 10:30 AM LOCATION: DLR ROOM: 221 COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Dr. Krishna Jayant (Primary Advisor) Dr. Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem (Co-advisor) Dr. Edward Bartlett Dr. Scott Pluta ABSTRACT: The execution of structured motor actions is influenced by the context in which they occur. In mammals, this behavior is integrated in the primary motor cortex (M1), which conveys task-relevant signals for motor action. Further, the integration of contextual pre-motor (M2) and sensory thalamic inputs in M1 can combine to form a reliable neural code for motor action. However, the mechanisms underlying communication between these regions and their maintenance across varying behavioral timescales remain unclear. In this study, I aim to investigate how thalamocortical and inter-cortical inputs shape distinct neural dynamics in mice performing a volitional motor task, which requires them to employ rapid motor planning. I hypothesize that such interactions will emerge in the form of propagating traveling waves across the two motor cortices, influenced by feedforward thalamic inputs arriving at M1 and M2. Such integration of inputs will enable distinct translaminar neural dynamics that track motor behavior within a low-dimensional neural state-space. My research, split into 3 aims, focuses on elucidating how traveling waves shape neural dynamics in M1 (Aim 1), unraveling thalamocortical interactions underlying traveling wave structure (Aim 2), and whether traveling waves can predict impending contextually-driven motor sequences (Aim 3). To test and validate my hypothesis, I plan to use innovative methods, including custom microfabricated µECoG technology for mapping traveling waves, high-density electrophysiology with concomitant high-speed two-photon (2P) imaging, cell-type specific optogenetics, and a novel behavioral paradigm. Successful completion of my aims will lead to a new understanding of how motor regions communicate within behaviorally relevant timescales to influence motor action. The outcome of this project could also inform the development of brain-machine-interface algorithms and advance research on dysfunctional circuits in motor-related diseases.