Bottjer, Sarah
Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology
Our lab studies how neural circuits that traverse the cortex and basal ganglia mediate motor skill learning during development. Skill learning entails the acquisition of a new behavior as trial and error of variable actions are refined into a stereotyped pattern. Acquisition of new motor skills depends on neural circuits that compare feedback of self-generated movements to a desired goal and reinforce “correct" movements that match that goal. We use multidisciplinary behavioral and systems neuroscience approaches to study the function of cortico-basal ganglia circuits during developmental skill learning. Understanding the normal function of these circuits is a necessary prerequisite to understanding the multiple diseases associated with disorders of the basal ganglia.
Brocas, Isabelle
I am a Professor at the University of Southern California and the co-director of the Los Angeles Behavioral Economics Laboratory (LABEL) and the Theoretical Research in Neuroeconomic Decision-making (TREND) Institute. My research revisits standard theories of decision-making and aims at better understanding how people make choices, what motivates them and what cognitive limitations prevent them from making rational choices.
Chang, Karen T.
Associate Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience
Our lab is interested in understanding how neurons communicate with high fidelity to support complex brain functions. We aim to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable precise synaptic signaling and to explore how disruptions in these processes contribute to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a genetically tractable model system, we integrate electrophysiology, molecular biology, confocal imaging, proteomics, and behavioral analysis to investigate synaptic function and plasticity.
Ching, Christopher
Assistant Professor Of Research Neurology
Dr. Ching’s research focuses on neuroimaging and genomic markers of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. As a core organizing member of the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium, he designs and implements standardized processing and analysis techniques for large-scale neuroimaging studies. He leads the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group, an effort pooling data and resources from around the world to improve our understanding of the biological processes driving bipolar disorder, and studies rare copy number variants like 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome to understand how genetic mutations can lead to increased risk for developing psychiatric illness. He leads several large-scale transdiagnostic neuroimaging and genomic initiatives using machine learning to map common and distinct brain and clinical factors across mental illnesses.
Coricelli, Giorgio
Professor of Economics and Psychology
We study human behaviors emerging from the interplay of cognitive and emotional systems. Our research agenda includes two main projects. The first one concerns the role of emotions in decision making, and the second is aimed at investigating the relational complexity in social interaction. Our objective is to apply robust methods and findings from behavioral decision theory to study the brain structures that contribute to forming judgments and decisions, both in an individual and a social context.
Cortes, Constanza
Assistant Professor of Gerontology
We investigate the mechanisms of exercise-associated neuroprotection in the context of aging and Alzheimer's disease. We utilize transgenic exercice-mimetic transgenic mice in combination with running interventions to isolate and prioritize novel 'exerkines' to move into pre-clinical trials. We are also building an 'exercise atlas' of the brain across the lifespan, with the ultimate goal of developing exercise in a pill as a novel intervention for Alzheimer's disease
