Letizia Signorelli - Data Analyst
Project: Automated approaches for developmental sleep scoring
Bio
A Computer Engineer and a Neuroscientist
I am a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Charlotte Boccara at University of Oslo, Norway. Our research is focused on understanding the role of developmental sleep in maturation of cognitive functions.
I did my Ph.D at European Brain Research Institute in Rome, Italy under the supervision of Prof. Enrico Cherubini and Dr. Marilena Griguoli. My thesis titled "Characterization of Hippocampal Network State Space during Wakefulness and Sleep" introduces a novel analytical framework to study simultaneous influence of network oscillations on the neuronal population. Read the publication here.
When not involved in neuroscience, I spend my time on swimming, football and hiking around Oslo.
Key Research Experience
-
Oct 2022 Present
Postdoctoral Researcher
Norwegian Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
-
Oct 2018 June 2022
Ph.D Student
European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
-
Jan 2020 Jun 2020
Visiting Research Fellow
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Education & Training
-
Ph.D 2022
Doctor of Philosophy
Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy
-
B.E 2016
Bachelors in Computer Engineering
University of Mumbai, India
-
H.S.C 2012
Higher Secondary Certificate
R. Jhunjhunwala College, Mumbai, India
Research
Over the course of time, many disciplines concerning the study of evolving and non-evolving complex systems such as neuroscience, global financial markets, resources distribution and dependency evolution. etc. have attracted my attention. Although they seem widely diverse in areas of applications, their governing principles share a common core in terms of complexity.
Many decades of research in graph theory, chaos theory, computational complexity theory and other related disciplines have been focused on laying the theoretical foundations necessary to study and forecast the behavior of non-evolving complex networks. However, the world we observe around us seems evolving with time, as in, newer variables gets added to the system in real time, may it be neurogenesis in the brain or addition/deletion of receptors in the cell membrane or new government regulations in financial markets or sudden onset of pandemic or population growth or even a discovery/extinction of natural resources. These fluctuations in the number of variables and their strength of interaction over time indicates that the system is bound to end-up in previously unknown states and trajectories in its state space. Such a volatile nature of a system makes it difficult to forecast its behavior using currently established data-driven analytical frameworks.
To understand such evolving complex systems (ECS) of volatile nature, newer sets of theoretical foundations are required to be established. Any progress in the development of such frameworks will allow scientific research to advance into new horizons.
Interests
- Systems Neuroscience
- Computational Complexity Theory
- Evolving complex systems
Research Projects (Neuroscience)
-
+ Manuscript in preparation.
-
+ We designed a different, multivariate, approach to simultaneously analyze interactions between multiple oscillations and applied it to rodent hippocampal LFPs.
+ Article published in eLife: Link here -
+ Performed whole-cell patch clamp recordings from hippocampal slices.
+ Wrote Matlab scripts to analyse the data.
+ Key findings: Altered Excitatory/Inhibitory (E/I) balance and network oscillations in CA2 region of neuroligin 3 knockout mouse suggesting its role in social deficits in autism. -
+ Built tetrode drive and performed surgery on rat for implantation.
+ Trained rats and conducted electrophysiological recordings in freely behaving rats.
+ Wrote Matlab scripts to analyse the data.
+ Performed perfusion to extract brain and brain slicing to confirm implant locations.
+ Key finding: Presence of head direction signals, place signals, speed signals, movement direction signals, border signals existing either independently or in conjunction in rat's retrosplenial cortex. -
+ Designed and developed a platform for students and colleges to automatic the process of getting railway concessions via cloudways.
+ It is currently used by more than 1500 students and is still in its expansion phase.
+ Website: VESIT Rail -
+ Virtual office is an ERP which helps managing all the resource of a Chartered Accoutants firm.
+ It consists of the modules like Employee management, Tasks management, Client management, Meeting management etc.
+ I have developed the CRUD functions for Employee module using CodeIgniter in PHP. -
Online Exam systems is a web portal which provides practicing for competitive examinations like Union Public Service Commision (UPSC), MPSC and Banking exams.
The key features includes:
+ Simple and Neat User Interface.
+ A complete report module which generates all statistics and reports about each student in each test and then suggests the appropriate areas of improvements to build a good score.
+ Automatic Test Generation Module which generates tests including non repetitive questions and instantaneous report generation. -
+ A website to spread the awareness and educate people about human trafficking.
+ This website includes key features like login and registration, file a complaint, suggestion box.
+ It was developed in just 2 days of time during an intercollegiate hackathon "Algorithms 1.0" .
+ We finished 1st runner up in the competition. -
+ Library Mangement System based on HTML, CSS, JQuery, AJAX, Javascript, PHP and MySql is now running in an Vivekanand Seva Mandal's Engineering library.
+ All the records of students, transactions, calculation of fine, registering a new member in library is now managed on this web application. -
+ Library Management using RFID is a project for 'Looking Beyond Syllabus Program in Vivekanand Education Society Institute of Technology.
+ The Project involves uses of wireless communication between RFID reader and tags to read the information about the books used in Library.
+ It also requires languages like PHP, SQL for backend of the library search engine.
+ On long term basis it covers the development of an Android application which allows students to remotely check the availability of books in library.
Computer Engineering Projects
Work Experience
-
I am currently working in the lab of Dr. Charlotte Boccara to study the role of developmental sleep in cognitive functions
Group Website -
I did my Ph.D in the lab of Dr. Enrico Cherubini at European Brain Research Institute in Rome, Italy. My thesis titled "Characterization of Hippocampal Network State Space during Wakefulness and Sleep" introduces a novel analytical framework to study simultaneous influence of network oscillations on the neuronal population.
-
I worked with Dr. Francesco Battaglia to develop advanced analytical framework to study network oscillations simultaneously
-
Research Intern in the lab of Dr. Hiroshi Ito to understand the functions of retrosplenial cortex in spatial navigation.
-
+ Built a product that automates the administrative process for college students.
+ Conducted and organized developer oriented workshops.
+ Built and managed a team of 12 Interns from multiple colleges
+ Product - Cloud Concessions. - An online portal that allows students to apply for railway concession. The first software of its kind is currently being used by more than 2000 students to get railway concession. It is free for all students.
-
+ Developed an Enterprise Resource Plan and Online exam system using CodeIgniter Framework in PHP.
+ Back-end and Database Designer for various applications and projects undertaken by TG
+ The following are the projects :
- Virtual office [E.R.P]
- Online Test System. -
+ Volunteered for a non governmental organization and promoting computer education amongst student.
+ Involved in developing applications for an engineering library run by Vivekanand Seva Mandal
+ Conducted a workshop on LAN technologies for around 40 students.
-
+ Involved in sharing technical ideas with a startup 'notemybook.com'.
+ Developed the user interface for the Brand new look of notemybook.com
+ Involved in monitoring the technical requirements of the company and providing appropriate solutions for it.
Selected Publications
Filter by type:
Sort by year:
Abstract
Oscillations occurring simultaneously in a given area represent a physiological unit of brain states. They allow for temporal segmentation of spikes and support distinct behaviors. To establish how multiple oscillatory components co-vary simultaneously and influence neuronal firing during sleep and wakefulness in mice, we describe a multivariate analytical framework for constructing the state space of hippocampal oscillations. Examining the co-occurrence patterns of oscillations on the state space, across species, uncovered the presence of network constraints and distinct set of cross-frequency interactions during wakefulness compared to sleep. We demonstrated how the state space can be used as a canvas to map the neural firing and found that distinct neurons during navigation were tuned to different sets of simultaneously occurring oscillations during sleep. This multivariate analytical framework provides a window to move beyond classical bivariate pipelines for investigating oscillations and neuronal firing, thereby allowing to factor-in the complexity of oscillation–population interactions.
Possible implication of the CA2 hippocampal circuit in social cognition deficits observed in the Neuroligin 3 knock-out mouse, a non-syndromic animal model of autism.
Research Article
Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of neuro-developmental abnormalities with a strong genetic component, characterized by deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication, impaired social interactions, and stereotyped behaviors. In a small percentage of cases, ASDs are associated with alterations of genes involved in synaptic function. Among these, relatively frequent are mutations/deletions of genes encoding for neuroligins (NLGs). NLGs are postsynaptic adhesion molecules that, interacting with their presynaptic partners neurexins, ensure the cross talk between pre- and postsynaptic specializations and synaptic stabilization, a condition needed for maintaining a proper excitatory/inhibitory balance within local neuronal circuits. We have focused on mice lacking NLG3 (NLG3 knock-out mice), animal models of a non-syndromic form of autism, which exhibit deficits in social behavior reminiscent of those found in ASDs. Among different brain areas involved in social cognition, the CA2 region of the hippocampus has recently emerged as a central structure for social memory processing. Here, in vivo recordings from anesthetized animals and ex vivo recordings from hippocampal slices have been used to assess the dynamics of neuronal signaling in the CA2 hippocampal area. In vivo experiments from NLG3-deficient mice revealed a selective impairment of spike-related slow wave activity in the CA2 area and a significant reduction in oscillatory activity in the theta and gamma frequencies range in both CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. These network effects were associated with an increased neuronal excitability in the CA2 hippocampal area. Ex vivo recordings from CA2 principal cells in slices obtained from NLG3 knock-out animals unveiled a strong excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in this region accompanied by a strong reduction of perisomatic inhibition mediated by CCK-containing GABAergic interneurons. These data clearly suggest that the selective alterations in network dynamics and GABAergic signaling observed in the CA2 hippocampal region of NLG3 knock-out mice may account for deficits in social memory reminiscent of those observed in autistic patients.
Abstract
Microglia cells are active players in regulating synaptic development and plasticity in the brain. However, how they influence the normal functioning of synapses is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the effects of pharmacological microglia depletion, achieved by administration of PLX5622, on hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses of adult wild type mice. Following microglial depletion, we observed a reduction of spontaneous and evoked glutamatergic activity associated with a decrease of dendritic spine density. We also observed the appearance of immature synaptic features and higher levels of plasticity. Microglia depleted mice showed a deficit in the acquisition of the Novel Object Recognition task. These events were accompanied by hippocampal astrogliosis, although in the absence ofneuroinflammatory condition. PLX-induced synaptic changes were absent in Cx3cr1−/− mice, highlighting the role of CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis in microglia control of synaptic functioning. Remarkably, microglia repopulation after PLX5622 withdrawal was associated with the recovery of hippocampal synapses and learning functions. Altogether, these data demonstrate that microglia contribute to normal synaptic functioning in the adult brain and that their removal induces reversible changes in organization and activity of glutamatergic synapses.
Teaching and Mentoring
Mentoring: Students, Interns and Junior Researchers
-
Jan 2024 Present
-
Sep 2023 Present
Solveig Horn – Master’s Student
Project: Behavioural and electrophysiological method to infer cognitive development in rodents
-
Sep 2023 Present
Ane Gaupseth Mæstad – Master’s Student
Project: Developmental maturation of thermoregulation across sleep stage
-
Jun 2023 Aug 2023
Sunniva Segtnan - Summer Research Intern
Project: Maturation of sleep spindles across development
-
Mar 2023 Aug 2023
Adrian Engberg – Master’s Student
Project: Emergence of twitches during early development
Workshops and Teaching Assistance
-
2015 Sep
Lab Session on Web Technologies
Conducted a laboratory session on Web Technologies on the occasion of Teacher's day.
-
2015 March
Web Development using PHP
Conducted two workshops of duration 8 hours each on PHP and MySQL for Nuclei Technologies.
-
2014 Oct
Local Area Network [LAN]
Conducted a theoretical and practical workshop on Local Area Network(LAN) for 40 students at Vivekanand Seva Mandal
-
2014 Aug
Android Development
Teaching Assistant during a workshop on JAVA and Android Programming organized by notemybook.com
-
2013 Oct
PC Assembly
Conducted workshop on PC Assembly and PHP/MySQL and TA for .Net Framework and Flash workshop for Computer Society of India (CSI)- VESIT.
Contact
Norwegian Center for Molecular Medicine (NCMM)
Forskningsparken, Gaustadalléen 21
0349, Oslo, Norway
-
Email
brijeshmodi12 [at] gmail.com
