Entry Date:
July 11, 2013

Cognitive Control in Sensorimotor Function

Principal Investigator Mehrdad Jazayeri


The long-term objective of my research is to understand the neural basis of higher brain function in health and its modes of failure in disease. My work will contribute to two simple yet essential aspects of cognitive control in sensorimotor function.

Sensorimotor integration: Complex behaviors rely on a sophisticated confluence of internal and external cues including sensory inputs, prior expectations and knowledge about potential costs and benefits. We employ a range of techniques including psychophysics, electrophysiology and optogenetics to tease apart the neural circuits that combine these factors and put them to use in the control of behavior.

Sensorimotor coordination: To generate dynamic and flexible thoughts and actions, brain circuits must be be able to track elapased time. The second line of research in my lab is focused on elucidating the time-keeping mechanisms in the brain across scales, from behavior to neural circuits to activity patterns in individual neurons.