Neuroscience at Boston University: Research Areas: Plasticity

Faculty are listed by Department within their Research Areas,
with descriptions of their active projects.

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

TIM GARDNER,Assistant Professor of Biology; Ph.D.- Rockefeller University, NY.
Research Interests: The Gardner lab studies the assembly and function of neural circuits, focusing on the well-defined pathways for vocal learning in songbirds. A first priority is the quantitative description of vocal behavior. The lab also explores physiological recordings and circuit perturbations in singing birds, in-vivo imaging, and theoretical models for self-assembly of neural systems.

JEN-WEI LIN
Professor of Biology; PhD, SUNY—Buffalo

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter secretion.

Research Interests: Neurotransmitter secretion is a complicated process that involves ion channel gating and secretion steps. In addition, the mobilization and recycling of synaptic vesicles are needed to maintain the function of a synapse and to contribute to synaptic plasticity. Ultimately, an understanding of the secretory events means that one can establish a kinetic scheme for this multi-step process and identify molecules responsible for each step. Therefore, a combined electrophysiological and molecular approach is used in my laboratory to investigate these questions.

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DEPARTMENT OF COGNITIVE AND NEURAL SYSTEMS

DANIEL H. BULLOCK
Associate Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems and
Psychology; PhD, Stanford University

Research Interests:Integrated neural network models of sensory-motor learning, planning and control. These neural network models encompass circuits in cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and the spinal cord. Our studies focus on step-by-step reconstruction of known brain and CNS circuits within the context of a quantitative functional theory of adaptive behavior and cognition. Concepts and hypotheses are rigorously assessed by comprehensive computer simulations of neural circuits that are specified as systems of ordinary differential equations.

GAIL A. CARPENTER
Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems and Mathematics;
PhD, University of Wisconsin

Research Interests: Development of neural network models for self-organizing category learning and pattern recognition; neural mechanisms of synaptic transmission and adaptation; and systems that incorporate these models into neural networks architectures for incremental supervised learning and prediction. Also: Neural models of vision, nerve impulse generation (Hodgkin-Huxley equations), transmitter dynamics, and biological rhythms.

STEPHEN GROSSBERG
Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems,
Professor of Mathematics, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering;
Director, Center for Adaptive Systems; Chairman, Department of
Cognitive and Neural Systems; PhD, Rockefeller University

Research Interests: Development of neural models of learning, recognition, memory, vision, audition, speech, cognition, reinforcement, attention, adaptive sensory-motor control, and biological rhythms. Systematic analysis and prediction of behavioral and brain data in both normal and clinical patients. Applications to outstanding technological problems.

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES

SWATHI KIRAN
Associate Professor and Director, Aphasia Research Laboratory; Ph.D.Northwestern University.
Research Interests: Dr Kiran's Aphasia Research Laboratory is interested in understanding language processing and language recovery mechanisms in normal individuals and patients with brain damage. A variety of methodological approaches are used that include rehabilitation experiments, functional neuroimaging and computational modeling. Research topics include aphasia rehabilitation, functional neuroimaging of language recovery in monolingual and bilingual individuals with aphasia, and bilingual aphasia rehabilitation.

JUDITH SCHOTLAND
Assistant Professor; PhD, Northwestern University
Research Interests: The role of spinal neural networks in the organization of movements. Research uses complementary in vitro and in vivo neurophysiological, pharmacological, and anatomical techniques in simple vertebrate model systems to elucidate the neuronal mechanisms and networks responsible for the control of coordinated movements.
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PSYCHOLOGY

MICHAEL HASSELMO
Professor of Psychology; DPhil, Oxford University

Research Interests: Research in the Hasselmo laboratory focuses on physiological and computational analysis of the mechanisms of memory function in mammalian cortical circuits, including the role of activation in muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and GABAB receptors, and the role of oscillatory dynamics in the olfactory cortex and hippocampus. Students in the laboratory have the opportunity to learn a wide range of neuroscience research techniques, including electrophysiological recording from brain slice preparations of the hippocampus and piriform cortex, recordings of evoked potentials and unit activity in anesthetized and chronic preparations, detailed compartmental biophysical simulations of cortical circuits, and behavioral studies of cholinergic modulation in olfactory behavior. Articles from this laboratory have been co-authored by numerous trainees, many of whom have performed both computational modeling work and physiological research while working in the laboratory.

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