Our aim is to characterize the specific contribution of each medial temporal lobe (MTL) areas to memory function as damage to these areas for example in aging and amnesia leads in severe memory deficits. We especially study the spatial and the temporal components of episodic memory and conduct experiments in healthy subjects, aging, animal models of amnesia, and to a lesser extent in humans, by combining innovative behavioral memory paradigms with state-of-the-art techniques such as molecular imaging, optogenetics, stereotactic lesions, 7T fMRI and mutagenesis.