My specific research is in computational cognitive neuroscience and involves the investigation of large-scale neurocognitive or brain networks by analysing simulated data from The Virtual Brain Project using computational causality testing. In general, I am also interested in questions in the philosophy of neuroscience and neurophilosophy -- particularly how a philosophical understanding of concepts such as causality, representation, etc., can help clarify those same concepts as used in neuroscience; and how philosophical concepts, such as morality, can be clarified and perhaps better understood with empirical results from modern neuroscience.
After joining the program, my first research project is to understand social emotion as a dynamic system, the process of which was sought to be described in terms of the dynamic landscape of coupled oscillators - meaning both the coordinated rhythmic movement of a social dyad and the intrapersonal coordination of oscillatory neural activities. In future work, I plan to explore multi-agent coordination: how complex spatio-temporal patterns emerge, stabilize, and destablize with increased population, and how to connect well-established models on the coordination between a small number of components to systems of larger population.
My research involves studying mouse brains, specifically the midline thalamus. I also conduct research on sleep, including studying the role of the superchiasmatic nucleus on sleep patterns.
My research involves using DTI to detect differences in the white matter skeleton of elderly humans with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In essence, DTI is a noninvasive technique that images the brain in multiple directions to determine a diffusion tensor (a symmetric 3x3 matrix) at each volume element in space. These tensors represent the probability of water diffusing in a given direction and allow for the differentiation between regions in the in the brain where the water diffusion is isotropic and the more interesting areas of high anisotropy that represent the long-range fibers.
I am working on a project that investigates the role of the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain in top-down motor control in healthy adolescent subjects.I have applied Granger causality analysis to functional MRI data to quantify the pattern of top-down control between the anterior cingulate cortex and the motor cortex during a controlled finger movement task.
I’m interested in investigating bistable percepts in human visual motion perception as a way of exploring larger complex patterns in embodied biological systems in general with psychophysical testing and mathematical modeling.
I study targeted gene therapy to stop neovascularization in the eye for diseases such as AMD and diabetic retinopathy. I currently use animal models to study these therapies.
My research involves social neuroscience, including social memory and social coordination between brains.
I am interested in the dynamics and computations involved in movement coordination in brain and behavior using EEG and motion capture techniques.
Why do we move the way we do? The mechanistic understanding of the
intrinsic dynamics of human motor coordination control and learning, which
is complemented by pertinent psychosocial factors, forms the core of my
research interests and efforts. In my work, I aim for basic science
research to be translated into clinical applications in movement
rehabilitation intervention as well as into technical improvements in
athletic performance.
I use immunohistochemistry and various pharmacological techniques to investigate the roles of the rodent perirhinal cortex and hippocampus in object recognition memory.