UW Block W
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Sheri Mizumori

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Sheri Mizumori, Ph.D.

Professor
Advising: Not accepting new graduate students in 2025-2026.
Areas: Neural Systems and Behavior
Interests: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Spatial Memory and Decisions
Links:

Research

Understanding the underlying neuroplasticity mechanisms of learning, memory, and decision is fundamental to our understanding of the causes of a variety of cognitive disorders as well as the developmental changes in learning that occur across the lifespan. Our laboratory attempts to address these issues by using a rodent model of spatial navigation to investigate dynamic neural responses in the brain, as well as complex interactions between populations of cells located in different memory-related structures. These studies employ techniques such as high density single unit recordings, as well as optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations, as rodents perform complex memory tasks. Our studies have examined many processes that contribute to successful and adaptive navigation: 1) the evaluation of sensory input during active locomotion, 2) the integration of current sensory information with past knowledge about an environment, and with internal state information, and 3) the behavioral implementation of highly processed spatial information. Most recently, we have been considering these processes as they relate to the flexible use of different cognitive and behavioral strategies. For this work, we focus on limbic-thalamic neural systems as they relate to disorders of behavioral control as seen in addiction and depression.

Education

University of California - Berkeley (1985)

  • Baker, P. M., Raynor, S. A., Francis, N. T., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2016). Lateral habenula integration of proactive and retroactive information mediates behavioral flexibility. Neuroscience, PMID 26876779
  • Baker, P. M., Oh, S. E., Kidder, K. S., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2015). Ongoing behavioral state information signaled in the lateral habenula guides behavioral flexibility in freely moving rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 9: 295. PMID: 26582981
  • Jo, Y. S., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2015) Prefrontal regulation of neuronal activity in the ventral tegmental area. Cerebral Cortex , pii: bhv215. PMID: 26400913
  • Mizumori , S. J. Y. (2015). Self regulation of memory processing centers of the brain. In P. Jackson, R. Berman, A. Chiba, & M. Ragozzino (Eds.) The Neurobiological Basis of Memory: A System, Attribute, and Process Analysis. Springer Press. In Press.
  • Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Tryon, V. L. (2015). Integrative hippocampal and decision-making neurocircuitry during goal-relevant predictions and encoding. Progress in Brain Research, 219: 217-242. PMID: 26072241
  • Redila, V., Kinzel, C., Jo, Y. S., Puryear, C. B., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2015). A role for the lateral dorsal tegmentum in memory and decision neural circuitry. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 117:93-108. PMID: 24910282
  • Redish, A. D., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2015). Memory and decision making. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 117: 1-3. PMID:25192867
  • Fobbs, W. C., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2014). Cost-benefit decision circuitry: proposed modulatory role for acetylcholine. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science. PMID: 24484704
  • Jo, Y. S., Lee, J., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2013). Effects of prefrontal cortical inactivation on neural activity in the ventral tegmental area. Journal of Neuroscience, 33: 8159-8171. PMCID: PMC3675177
  • Mizumori S. Y. J. (2013). Context prediction analysis and episodic memory. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 7: 132. PMCID: PMC3791547
  • Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Jo, Y. S. (2013). Homeostatic regulation of memory systems and adaptive decisions. Hippocampus, 23: 1103-1124. PMID: 2392978.
  • Penner, M. R., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2012). Age-associated changes in the hippocampal-ventral striatum-ventral tegmental loop that impact learning, prediction and context discrimination. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 4: 1-12. PMID: 22891060
  • Penner, M. R., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2012). Neural systems analysis of decision making during goal-directed navigation. Progress in Neurobiology, 96: 96-135. PMID: 21964237
  • Gill, P. R., Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Smith, D. M. (2011). Hippocampal Episode Fields Develop with Learning. Hippocampus, 21: 1240-1249. PMCID: PMC2970708
  • Martig, A. K., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2011). Ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra neural correlates of spatial learning. Learning and Memory, 18: 260-271. PMID: 21447624
  • Martig, A. K., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2011). Ventral tegmental area disruption selectively affects CA1/CA2 but not CA3 place fields during a differential reward working memory task. Hippocampus, 21: 172-184. PMCID: PMC2988981
  • Norton, A. B. W., Jo, Y. S., Clark, E. W., Taylor, C. A., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2011). Independent neural coding of reward and movement by pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus neurons in freely navigating rats. European Journal of Neuroscience, 33: 1885-1896. PMCID: PMC3095748
  • Smith, D. M., Barredo, J., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2011) Complimentary roles of the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex in behavioral context discrimination. Hippocampus 22: 1121-1133. PMCID: PMC3166541
  • Zweifel, L.S., Fadok, J.P., Argilli, E., Garelick, M.G., Jones, G.L., Dickerson, T.M., Allen, J.M., Mizumori, S.J., Bonci, A., & Palmiter, R.D. (2011). Activation of dopamine neurons is critical for aversive conditioning and prevention of generalized anxiety. Nature Neuroscience, 14: 620-626. PMCID: PMC3083461
  • Gill, P. R., Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Smith, D. M. (2010). Hippocampal episode fields develop with learning. Hippocampus (in press).
  • Kim, M. J., Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Bernstein, I. L. (2010). Encoding conditioned taste by neurons in basolateral nucleus of amygdala of rats. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem., 93, 406-414.
  • Martig, A. K. & Mizumori S. J. Y. (2010). Ventral tegmental area disruption selectively affects CA1/CA2 but not CA3 place fields during a differential reward working memory task. Hippocampus (in press)
  • Puryear, C. B., Kim, M. J., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2010). Conjunctive encoding of reward and movement by ventral tegmental area neurons: contextual control during adaptive spatial navigation Behavioral Neuroscience (in press)
  • Martig AK, Jones GL, Smith KE, and Mizumori SJ. (2009). Context dependent effects of ventral tegmental area inactivation on spatial working memory. Behavioural Brain Research 203, 316-20.
  • Mizumori SJ, Puryear CB, and Martig AK. (2009). Basal Ganglia Contributions to Adaptive Navigation. (2009). Behavioural Brain Research 199, 32-42.
  • Zweifel LS, Parker JG, Lob CJ, Rainwater A, Wall VZ, Fadok JP, Darvas M, Kim MJ, Mizumori SJ, Paladini CA, Phillips PE, and Palmiter RD. (2009). Disruption of NMDAR-dependent burst firing by dopamine neurons provides selective assessment of phasic dopamine-dependent behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106, 7281-8.
  • Gill, K. M., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2008). Spatial learning and the selectivity of hippocampal place fields: Modulation by dopamine. In S. J. Y. Mizumori (Ed.) Hippocampal Place Fields: Relevance to Learning and Memory. Oxford Univ. Press, 271-288.
  • Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2008). A context for hippocampal place cells during learning. In S. J. Y. Mizumori (Ed.) Hippocampal Place Fields: Relevance to Learning and Memory. Oxford Univ. Press, 16-43
  • Puryear CB and Mizumori SJ. (2008). Reward prediction error signals by reticular formation neurons. (2008). Learning & Memory 15, 895-8.
  • Eshenko, O., & Mizumori, S. J .Y. (2007). Memory influences on hippocampal and striatal neural codes: Effects of a shift between task rules. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 87, 495-509.
  • Gill, K. M., Bernstein, I. L., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2007) Immediate early gene activation in hippocampus and dorsal striatum: Effects of explicit place and response training. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 87, 583-596.
  • In J. L. Martinez, Jr. & R. P. Kesner (Eds.) Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
  • Mizumori, S. J.Y., Smith, D. M., & Puryear, C. B. (2007). Hippocampal and neocortical interactions during context discrimination: Electrophysiological evidence from the rat. Hippocampus
  • Gill, K. M., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2006). Context-dependent modulation by D1-receptors: Differential effects in hippocampus and striatum. Behavioral Neuroscience, 120, 377-392.
  • Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2006). Hippocampal place fields: A neural code for episodic memory? Hippocampus, 16, 685-690.
  • Mizumori, S. J. Y., & Smith, D. M. (2006). Directing neural representations of space. In M. Brown and R. C. Cook (Eds.) Animal Spatial Cognition: Behavioral, Comparative & Computational Analyses. http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/asc/
  • Puryear, C. B., King, M., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2006). Specific changes in hippocampal spatial codes predict spatial working memory performance. Behavioural Brain Research, 169, 168-175.
  • Smith, D. M., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2006). Hippocampal place cells, context and episodic memory. Hippocampus, 16, 716-729.
  • Smith, D. M., & Mizumori, S. J. Y. (2006). Learning-related development of context-specific neuronal responses to places and events: The hippocampal role in context processing. Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 3154-3163.