From 1988 to 1991, Hasselmo completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of
Biology at the
California Institute of Technology where he published work on modulatory mechanisms in
cortical brain slice preparations. Following his post-doc, Hasselmo was an associate professor at
Harvard University studying the
cholinergic modulation of
synaptic transmission and spike frequency accommodation in
cortical structures. He demonstrated that
acetylcholine sets appropriate cortical dynamics for the encoding of new information. He is best known for his work on
neuromodulators, particularly
acetylcholine and for his
computational modeling work on the
hippocampus and
prefrontal cortex, especially regarding the functional role of
theta rhythm. In his current role as the director of the Center for Systems Neuroscience at
Boston University, his laboratory studies the oscillatory dynamics of the
retrosplenial cortex (e.g., egocentric boundary cells and
head direction cells), the
entorhinal cortex (e.g.,
grid cells,
head direction cells, and speed modulated cells) and the
hippocampus (e.g., time cells,
place cells and context-dependent splitter cells). Additionally, Hasselmo's modeling work include network level models and detailed biophysical models. Publications from the lab address the function of
theta rhythm oscillations in the encoding of information in the
hippocampus and related cortical structures, building on his earlier models of the role of
acetylcholine in regulating mechanisms of encoding and consolidation. Notable lab alumni include Prof. Mark Brandon, Prof. Thom Cleland, Prof. Holger Dannenberg, Prof. Amy Griffin,
Prof. Lisa Giocomo, Prof. James Heys, Prof. Marc Howard, Prof. Jake Hinman and many more. == Awards and honors ==