DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER:
Professor J. Anthony Movshon

DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES:
Associate Professor Nava Rubin

Neural science is a collection of disciplines unified by a concern for the function of the brain. Experimental approaches in neural science vary from analyses of molecular and cellular mechanisms in nerve cells and groups of nerve cells to behavioral and psychological studies of whole organisms. Theoretical tools include mathematical and computational modeling approaches that have proved useful in other areas of science. Experimental questions include issues related to biophysical and neurochemical mechanisms within single nerve cells, functional neural circuits consisting of small numbers of neurons, the behavior of large systems of neurons, and the relationship between the activity of elements of the nervous system and the behavior of organisms.

The doctoral program in neural science provides advanced training for research careers in neural science. Opportunities exist for study in both experimental and theoretical aspects of the field. Areas of specialization include neurochemistry, neurobiology, cellular physiology and biophysics, neural development, behavioral neuroscience, auditory and visual neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging, neural mechanisms of memory and emotion, mathematical biology, computational neuroscience, robotics and artificial intelligence, and cognitive science. The curriculum of the Ph.D. program is designed to provide research training of the highest caliber to a small group of full-time students with varied backgrounds and interests.

Faculty

Chiye Aoki, Professor, Neural Science, Biology. Ph.D. 1985 (neuroscience), Rockefeller; B.A. 1978, Barnard College.
The role of postnatal experience in the formation of chemical synapses in the cerebral cortex.

Adam G. Carter, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 2002, Harvard; B.A. 1997, Cambridge.
Cellular mechanisms of synaptic integration and plasticity.

Nathaniel W. Daw, Assistant Professor, Neural Science, Psychology. Ph.D. 2003, M.S. 2000, Carnegie Mellon; B.A. 1996, Columbia.
Decision making and neuromodulation.

Paul W. Glimcher, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1989 (neuroscience), Pennsylvania; B.A. 1983 (neuroscience), Princeton.
Neural basis of eye movements and decision making; psychophysics and neurobiology of attention.

Michael J. Hawken, Research Professor. Ph.D. 1979 (physiology), B.Sc. 1972 (physiology and psychology), Otago (New Zealand).
Visual neuroscience; psychophysics and anatomy; computational modeling of neural processing.

David Heeger, Professor, Psychology, Neural Science. Ph.D. 1987 (computer science), B.A. 1983 (mathematics), Pennsylvania.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); visual pattern discrimination; stereo depth perception; visual motion perception; visual attention; visual awareness; visual impairments in developmental dyslexia.

Souheil Inati, Assistant Professor, Neural Science, Psychology. Ph.D. 1999 (physics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.S. 1992 (physics), Yale.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Lynne Kiorpes, Professor, Neural Science, Psychology. Ph.D. 1982 (physiological psychology), Washington; B.S. 1973 (physiological psychology), Northeastern.
Sensory development in primates; effects of environment on sensory development; oculomotor development and the development of visual function.

Eric Klann, Professor. Ph.D. 1989, Medical College of Virginia; B.A. 1984, Gannon.
Molecular mechanisms of learning and memory.

Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science; Professor, Neural Science, Psychology. Ph.D. 1977 (psychology), SUNY (Stony Brook); M.S. 1974, B.A. 1971, Louisiana State (Baton Rouge).
Emotion, memory, and the brain.

J. Anthony Movshon, Professor, Neural Science, Psychology; Silver Professor; Director, Center for Neural Science. Ph.D. 1975 (experimental psychology), B.A. (honors) 1972 (psychology), Cambridge.
Neurophysiology and psychophysics of vision and visual development; computational approaches to vision and neuroscience.

Alexander D. Reyes, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1990 (physiology and biophysics), Washington; B.A. 1984 (chemistry), Chicago.
Biophysical basis of information process in single neurons; synaptic interaction of neurons in cortical networks.

Bijan Pesaran, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 2002, California Institute of Technology; B.A. 1995, Cambridge.
Neuronal dynamics and decision making.

Alexander D. Reyes, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1990, Washington; B.A. 1984, Chicago.
Biophysical basis of information process in single neurons; synaptic interaction of neurons in cortical networks.

John Rinzel, Professor, Neural Science, Mathematics. Ph.D. 1973 (applied mathematics), M.S. 1968 (applied mathematics), New York; B.S. 1967 (engineering science), Florida.
Theoretical neurobiology; properties of neurons and neural systems.

Nava Rubin, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1993 (neurobiology and physics), M.Sc. 1988 (physics), B.Sc. 1986 (physics and mathematics), Hebrew (Jerusalem).
Visual perception in humans; the neural basis of vision and cognition.

Dan H. Sanes, Professor, Neural Science, Biology. Ph.D. 1984 (biology), M.S. 1981 (biology), Princeton; B.S. 1978 (zoology), Massachusetts (Amherst).
Development of synapse function; auditory maturation and plasticity.

Malcolm N. Semple, Associate Professor, Neural Science, Psychology. Ph.D. 1981 (psychology and physiology), B.Sc. (honors) 1977 (psychology), Monash (Australia).
Neurophysiology; neuroanatomy; plasticity and psychophysics of hearing.

Eero P. Simoncelli, Associate Professor; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Ph.D. 1993 (electrical engineering and computer science), M.S. 1988 (electrical engineering and computer science), Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cert. Adv. Study 1986 (mathematics), Cambridge; B.A. (summa cum laude) 1984 (physics), Harvard.
Representation and processing of visual information in machines and humans.

Wendy A. Suzuki, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1993 (neurosciences), California (San Diego); B.A. 1987 (physiology/anatomy), California (Berkeley).
Neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies of the organization of memory.

VISITING FACULTY

Yadin Dudai, Albert and Blanche Willner Family Global Distinguished Professor of Neural Science. Ph.D. 1974, Weizmann Institute of Science; B.Sc. 1969, Hebrew.
Mechanisms of learning and memory.

ASSOCIATES OF THE CENTER FOR NEURAL SCIENCE

Karen Adolph, Psychology; Efrain C. Azmitia, Biology; Justin Blau, Biology; Marisa Carrasco, Psychology; Edgar E. Coons, Jr., Psychology; Clayton E. Curtis, Psychology; Lila Davachi, Psychology; Claude Desplan, Biology; Davi Geiger, Computer Science; Scott P. Johnson, Psychology; Michael S. Landy, Psychology; Laurence T. Maloney, Psychology; T. James Matthews, Psychology; David W. McLaughlin, Mathematics; Denis G. Pelli, Psychology; Charles S. Peskin, Mathematics; Elizabeth Phelps, Psychology; Michael J. Shelley, Mathematics; Daniel Tranchina, Biology, Mathematics.

AFFILIATES OF THE CENTER FOR NEURAL SCIENCE

Doris R. Aaronson, Psychology; Ned Block, Philosophy, Psychology; Andrew Caplin, Economics; Adamantios I. Gafos, Linguistics; Murray Glanzer, Psychology; Jerome K. Percus, Mathematics, Physics; Carol S. Reiss, Biology; Andrew Schotter, Economics; Eugene Tunik, Physical Therapy (Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development); Edward B. Ziff, Biochemistry.