Sepiedeh Keshavarzi

Sepiedeh Keshavarzi is an Assistant Professor in Neuroscience at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge. She holds a prestigious Wellcome Trust Career Development Award (CDA) Fellowship and leads an active research laboratory focused on neural mechanisms of spatial cognition and navigation.

Dr. Keshavarzi's research program investigates how neurons and brain circuits process sensory information to generate cognitive processes and guide behavior, with particular emphasis on the neural underpinnings of self-motion and spatial orientation. Her work aims to determine how various sensory signals from the body and environment are organized and integrated within thalamocortical and intracortical circuits during spatial navigation, and how these contribute to orientation computations and behavior. A significant aspect of her research examines why spatial cognition tends to decline with age by investigating these processes in both healthy adult brains and aging models.

Her laboratory employs cutting-edge approaches in cellular and systems neuroscience using the mouse model. The research combines behavioral studies in freely moving and restrained animals with neuronal activity recordings using electrophysiological and optical tools. The lab also manipulates neuronal activity in specific cell types and circuits to investigate their contribution to behavior, complemented by anatomical tracing and circuit interrogation in vitro.

Dr. Keshavarzi's scientific recognition includes:

• Wellcome Trust Career Development Award (CDA) Fellowship

The Keshavarzi Lab currently includes Research Assistants Callum and Qimin, as well as Postdoc Célia. The lab is actively recruiting for PhD positions, indicating Dr. Keshavarzi's commitment to mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists. Her research has significant implications for understanding age-related cognitive decline and could inform future interventions for neurological conditions affecting spatial awareness and navigation.

The Keshavarzi Lab represents an important research group within the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at Cambridge, contributing to the department's strong tradition in neuroscience research. The lab's interdisciplinary approach bridges cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, and behavioral studies to unravel fundamental questions about how the brain creates our sense of spatial orientation and navigation.