Funded Work

Our motor systems are impressive.

How does the collective activity of individual neurons in the brain generate actions?

The essence of cognition is choice, and to understand choice we need to understand how neurons in the brain generate decisions in complex settings.

All nervous systems must operate under conditions of uncertainty.

The way in which neurons process information determines how the brain functions.

Unaided by modern technology, our very survival would depend upon our brain’s ability to accurately map external space.

The brain is composed of billions of neurons.

The neural substrates of memories and decisions.

The brain processes sensory stimuli and uses this information in conjunction with goals and memories to generate actions.

How the brain holds information in short-term memory is a mystery.

How does the brain give rise to the mind?

Consider the simple act of reaching for a cup of coffee.

Each time you look at a picture on a wall, even though you see the same thing, the electrical activity of neurons in your brain’s visual areas …

Imagine deciding whether or not to eat a piece of cake.

Decades of research have uncovered fundamental principles about how the eye works.

The cerebral cortex—the outermost, wrinkled layer of the brain—is involved in many cognitive processes, including sensory processing, decision-making, and movement.

So-called “collective behavior” surrounds us.

Imagine catching a firefly.

The brain is composed of networks of thousands or millions of neurons, and modern neuroscience is just reaching the stage where researchers can observe most, if not all …

How do complex patterns of activity in large populations of neurons gain meaning and guide behavior?