I am investigating one of the first steps in olfactory
perception: the conversion of an odorous stimulus into a nerve signal.
Olfactory receptor neurons are activated by odorants and generate action
potentials which are conveyed to second order neurons in the olfactory
bulb. I want to understand how olfactory receptor neurons code odor signals
and the cellular mechanisms which lead to the generation and termination
of those responses. I am also interested in investigating the contribution
of olfactory receptor neurons to olfactory adaptation. I examine these
issues using both electrophysiological and Ca2+-imaging techniques.