Learning and Memory
Howard Eichenbaum
Department: Psychology
Website: http://www.bu.edu/cogneuro/
Research: Professor Eichenbaum’s research centers on the neurobiology of learning and memory. His work focuses on clarifying how memories are represented and organized in the brain to mediate our capacity for conscious recollection.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment of at least one semester (including summers) and are not required to have prior experience working in a lab. Prerequisities include courses in biology, neuroscience, biopsychology or lab experience. Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP or for senior distinction. Techniques exposed to and learned include animal behavior and in vivo electrophysiology along with working with rats and mice.
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Michael Hasselmo
Department: Psychology
Website: http://www.bu.edu/psych/faculty/hasselmo/
Research: Research concerns the cortical dynamics of memory-guided behavior, including effects of neuromodulatory receptors and the role of theta rhythm oscillations in cortical function. Neurophysiological techniques are used to analyze intrinsic and synaptic properties of cortical circuits in the rat, and to explore the effects of modulators on these properties. Computational modeling is used to link this physiological data to memory-guided behavior. Experiments using multiple single-unit recording in behavioral tasks are designed to test predictions of the computational models. Areas of focused research include episodic memory function and theta rhythm dynamics in the entorhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation. Research addresses physiological effects relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and depression.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment of at least three semesters (including summers) and are not required to have prior experience working in a lab. Students for computational neuroscience should have experience with programming and neural modeling. Students for neurophysiological and behavioral experiments need to make a longer commitment and need prior coursework in neuroscience, preferrable neurophysiology. Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP or for senior distinction. Techniques exposed to and learned include computational modeling, in vitro electrophysiology, and in vivo electrophysiology and working with rats and mice.
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Chantal Stern
Department: Psychology
Website: sites.bu.edu/cnl/
Research: Research focuses on mapping the human brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A primary goal is to study out how the normal brain encodes, stores, and subsequently recognizes visual, spatial, and verbal information. In addition to studies of normal short-term and long-term memory processes, behavioral testing and fMRI are used to study normal aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and HIV-related dementia. Graduate students within the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory carry out their research within the psychology department at Boston University and also at the Massachusetts General Hospital NMR center.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment of at least three semesters (including summers) and are not required to have prior experience working in a lab. Prerequisities include receiving an “A” in NE 202 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience, must have computer experience (Matlab or programming experience is helpful), and must be willing to take human subjects protection and MRI training courses. Student must be motivated and willing to dedicate minimum of 10 hours per week to lab work. Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP or for senior distinction after one semester is completed. Techniques exposed to and learned include neuroanatomy and neuroimaging.