Uncovering the Role of Inhibitory Neurons in Learning and Memory
For Dr. Nuri Jeong, neuroscientist and entrepreneur, understanding the brain isn’t just a profession—it’s a passion. Inspired by her grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, Dr. Jeong is driven to uncover how we learn, how value systems are shaped, and how the dopamine system influences motivation. Her recent publication in Nature highlights a major stride in that quest.
Silence Is Louder Than Noise
In a ground-breaking discovery, Dr. Jeong’s team challenged the traditional belief that memory formation comes from loud neural activity. Instead, they identified a key role for inhibitory interneurons—neurons that go quiet during memory formation. This quieting acts like a ‘brake’ system in the brain, enabling it to prioritize and store goal-relevant information. Their finding opens new doors to understanding how learning and memory actually work.
Precision and Control: The PhenoSys Advantage
To reach these insights, Dr. Jeong’s lab combined virtual reality with the PhenoSys SpeedBelt treadmill.
Virtual Reality gave them tight experimental control. By designing ‘video games for mice’, the team could expose animals to precise spatial cues and learning environments.
The agility to change two different environments in Virtual Reality very fast was particularly important for understanding how new information is learned in novel contexts.
The SpeedBelt’s fine movement tracking allowed accurate correlation between the animal’s real motion and its position in the virtual environment:
Figuring out exactly what one degree in a virtual environment means in terms of centimetres moved was incredibly helpful for accurate data collection.
Impact and Future Horizons
Dr. Jeong’s work lays a foundation for future exploration into cognitive health and neurological disorders. Key next steps include:
- Studying how learning and memory systems break down in diseases like Alzheimer’s
- Investigating the dysfunction of inhibitory systems in cognitive decline
- Exploring ways to restore or replicate inhibitory control to enhance learning
- Applying these insights to improve learning for both animals and humans
Embracing Setbacks: A Personal and Scientific Philosophy
Dr. Jeong’s journey is shaped by resilience. A year before defending her PhD, she was hit by a car and immobilized for months. That experience became transformative- that ‘forced pause’ became, in her words, a ‘gift’—mirroring the role of silence in learning.
She later founded her company Goals Unhindered , a name inspired by her dissertation and the idea that meaningful learning requires both quiet and focus. Her mission is to help people and organizations use data to learn better and reach goals more efficiently.
Her advice to young researchers is as honest as it is powerful:
The support has been very good, consistent and prompt. The team has been very patient with the students despite frequent queries. When we needed a part replacement, it was delivered within a couple of days.
