In the STG, we have characterized the effects of individual neurotransmitters and diffuse modulatory substances on cell and circuit function.  Yet, any single cell in the ganglion may express numerous receptors, allowing for simultaneous response to multiple extracellular substances and/or perturbations.  The cellular response to multiple modulators translates to a combinatorial change in membrane currents.  I am interested in exploring the degree to which multiple currents influence and/or compensate for each other in maintaining overall circuit function. Investigating this in the STG will expand our understanding of neural circuit function in the mammalian brain, where neurons are exposed to a variable cocktail of extracellular substances.