Behavioral/Cognitive Neuroscience Research

Fluorescent labeling of glial cellsResearch Labs in Behavioral/Cognitive Neuroscience


Dr. Dave Albeck

Dr. Sondra Bland. We use a rodent model of adolescent social isolation to explore the effects of early life adversity on brain and behavior.  Immunohistochemistry, behavioral assays, and in vivo microdialysis coupled with HPLC are used to assess the importance of adolescent social experience on subsequent neural activation, plasticity, and neurotransmitter release during social and drug challenges in the rat. Other projects are concerned with alcohol reward/reinforcement, and circadian regulation of fear extinction, and conditioned social fear.  Lab website.

Dr. Ben Greenwood  Research in the Greenwood lab investigates the neural mechanisms underlying effects of exercise on stress and learning and memory of traumatic events; neural circuits controlling initiation and maintenance of voluntary exercise behavior; signals by which the experience of exercise is communicated to the brain to result in exercise-induced changes in brain and behavior; and sex differences in the effects of exercise.  Lab website.

Dr. Carly Leonard. In the Laboratory for Integrative Vision, we research how visual processes function to allow humans to effectively interact with their environment.  Incoming sensory input is rapidly integrated with an observer’s current goals and prior knowledge, determining which visual information will be remembered and where the eyes will move next.  There is a particular interest in understanding how these mechanisms of attention and working memory may differ between individuals.  These research questions are addressed by using a combination of behavioral studies, psychophysics, EEG/ERP, and eye-tracking. Lab website.

Dr. Erik Oleson. Research in the Oleson lab generally focuses on the role of subsecond dopamine release in motivated behavior within the context of psychiatric disease. We measure real-time dopamine release during ongoing behavior using a technique called fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and control dopamine neural activity using chemogenetic and optogenetic approaches.  

Dr. Jason Watson  Research in the Watson lab focuses on individual differences in attentional control and working memory in both laboratory and applied contexts.  Please check back soon for the lab website.