Neuroscience Research Labs

We are interested in examining how abused drugs affect the brain on a neurobiological level. Specifically, what long-lasting changes do abused drugs produce in the brain that ultimately result in dependence and addiction?

The Auditory Computation & Neurophysiology Lab investigates the neural mechanisms of perceptual and cognitive functions that support auditory experience. We are interested in how does the auditory system integrate basic sound features, such as frequency, intensity, and location, to establish sound source perception.

The Autism Brain Aging Laboratory is among the first to study age-related changes in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through neuropsychological evaluations and multi-modal neuroimaging. 

The Autism Brain Aging Laboratory is among the first to study age-related changes in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through neuropsychological evaluations and multi-modal neuroimaging. 

The research goals of our laboratory are to characterize the cognitive and brain changes that occur during aging, as well as to develop behavioral and pharmacological strategies to attenuate mnemonic and neurobiological age-related alterations. 

Our goal is to understand the mechanisms by which stress influences brain plasticity and resilience. The stress response is vital for organism survival and yet, a dysregulated stress response can be deadly.

Her research focuses on 1) the impact of early life social experiences on epigenetic regulation of gene systems involved in mental health; 2) the relationships between peripheral epigenetics and brain structure, function, microbiome composition, and behavior; and 3) the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy to reduce symptoms through psychological healing and epigenetic alterations.

Professor Smith’s research focuses on learning and memory systems in both insects and mammals. His work is being applied to studies of human diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as to the negative effects of heavy metal poisoning on learning and memory.

Professor Michael Dorman is a emeritus professor of speech and hearing sciences in the College of Health Solutions. His group investigates many aspects of speech, voice and music perception by patients fit with cochlear implants and by normal-hearing subjects listening to simulations of cochlear implants.

Her research interests focus on the assessment of speech and language development of children with cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial conditions, early intervention for children with cleft lip and/or palate, and service delivery models for early speech and language intervention.

The Communication Neuroimaging and Neuroscience (CoNi) Laboratory investigates the neural computations involved in speech and music perception, and how these processes interact with memory, attention, and motor systems.

The Decision Neuroscience Laboratory investigates the brain processes that underlie valuation and decision-making in people. We aim to understand the function of individual brain system in how they represent and learn information about available rewards.

Immunology is a thriving field in biomedical science with a focus on defense against pathogens, yet its impact on normal physiology is not well-understood. The Florsheim Lab aims to bridge this gap by exploring the immune system's role within the broader context of physiology, neuroscience, and animal behavior.

Dr. Wang's lab researches medical imaging, computer vision, machine learning, computer graphics, geometric modeling, and statistical pattern recognition.

Jon Harrison is an environmental physiologist specializing in insect biology. His research encompasses areas such as the impact of environmental and genetic factors on fruit fly development and the relationship between overgrazing and locust outbreaks.

Dr. Lifshitz's research spans diverse areas, from mitochondria in neuropathology to cognitive rehabilitation, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. His work encompasses basic mechanisms, translational research, and topics addressing healthcare disparities and social impact.

 During more than 2 decades as PI of NIH-funded grants, her research has explored the production and perception of dysarthric speech; the way that listeners perceive impaired speech; and what factors aid in improving communication between people with motor speech disorders and those around them.

We study central features of insect societies such as reproductive division of labor, hierarchy formation, chemical communication, and individual plasticity.

Our research projects investigate human memory and attention capabilities and how they support a wide range of behaviors.
Research in the Memory and Attention Control Laboratory entails attending lab meetings, scoring cognitive data, and helping participants complete experiments. 

Research at our lab focuses on mechanisms responsible for sensorimotor control and learning of the upper limb. Our work strives to bridge basic and applied research on hand function by investigating mechanisms underlying skilled movements.

Research in my laboratory is focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that orchestrate the formation of the nervous system. We frequently utilize mouse genetic tools, models of developmental disorders, and pharmacological agents to study molecular functions during the specification and differentiation of distinct neural subtypes.

My research interests reflect the dynamic interplay of behaviors across the 24 hours: sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity, and collectively how these behaviors can be harnessed for health promotion.

His research aims are to develop a spectrum of research efforts that examine loss of sensorimotor abilities in Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias, Parkinsonism, and hereditary neuropathies. He is also interested in the use of neurotechnology to assess mechanisms regulating fine motor, ballistic and continuous movements and innovative digitial technology for gait analysis. 

Insect societies exhibit complex behaviors stemming from local interactions among individuals, reflecting a broader pattern observed in biology, including genetic and neural networks. Understanding the connections between individual and collective properties in these systems involves empirical research and mathematical modeling, which is our approach in studying insect societies' collective behavior.

Our laboratory investigates neurodegeneration in CNS disorders like ALS and FTD, with a focus on understanding synaptic dysfunction. We use various models, including hiPSCs, patient brain tissue, and animal models, and employ advanced molecular and microscopy techniques.

She is currently investigating the effects of Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) on motor and cognitive function in persons with Down syndrome. ACT is done on a stationary bicycle that is equipped with an electric motor. 

Neurological disorders or traumatic brain injury may disturb an individual’s speech and language abilities well before such changes are perceptually detectable.

The lab specifically focuses on long distance neural circuits from the cerebellar cortex involved in social and flexible behavior. This research is motivated by clinical findings describing an increased risk of autism diagnosis in children with a cerebellar injury at birth.

We investigate neural mechanisms underlying normal speech production and stuttering, a speech fluency disorder that affects 1% of the population. Our research lies at the intersection of Speech Science, Neuroscience, and Engineering.

We investigate the biological causes of communication disorders using a wide palette of tools. These include tests of speech and language, motor function testing, brain imaging, and of course, DNA analysis.

Professor Azuma’s research has centered on how attention, executive function, memory, and language processing are affected by healthy aging, dementia, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological conditions.

As the elderly population grows rapidly, and age remains the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), it's crucial to investigate the underlying mechanisms of AD pathology. This understanding will enable the development of preventive strategies and aid those already affected by the disease in advanced stages.

We study neural and cognitive mechanisms that allow us to maintain stable visual experience of the world despite noisy sensory representations. We investigate a broad set of research topics, including visual attention, visual working memory, and perceptual decision making using psychophysics, computational modeling along with EEG/ERPs.

Work in the Visuomotor Learning Lab (VMLL) is aimed at understanding how the brain combines different forms of sensory and motor information to help plan, execute, and adapt movements (‘sensorimotor integration’). 

Professor Tang's research efforts happen within the Health Neuroscience Collaboratory and they focus on brain mechanisms, cognitive decline and neural models of human skill learning.