BME PhD Prospectus Defense: Sung Ahn

Title: "Mobile Intracranial Electroencephalography for Investigating the Human Cognitive Map"

Advisory Committee: Dr. Matthias Stangl, PhD - BME (advisor) Dr. David Boas, PhD - BME (advisor) Dr. Kamal Sen, PhD - BME (chair) Dr. Emily Stephen, PhD - Mathematics & Statistics

Abstract: Navigating space requires us to create a neural representation of our environment and our location within it; this representation is often called the “cognitive map.” However, several key questions regarding the formation and use of this map in humans remain unanswered. For example, how is the map formed in real-world settings? How do we integrate other people into this map? Are these mechanisms solely used for processing spatial information, or can they support the organization of abstract concepts? Here, we will investigate these questions by leveraging our mobile deep-brain electrophysiology platform. Specifically, in the first aim, we plan to study the neural codes used to track another individual walking in a shared room while participants remain stationary. Furthermore, we plan to investigate whether these codes are general-purpose or task-specific. In the second aim, we plan to validate these neural representations in a more naturalistic scenario where the participant will be in motion with the other individual, modulating the relevance of the individual based on the walking trajectory. In the third aim, we plan to investigate whether this spatial integration mechanism supports the encoding of non-spatial information, such as the emotional valence of spoken words.

When 3:00 pm on 15 June 2026
Building CILSE 106C