studies the neural correlates of spatial representation and memory

uses statistical and theoretical approaches to study the neural basis of flexible behavior

studies how dreams can inform our understanding of consciousness

studies the circuits underlying reward-based learning and decision making, and how those circuits can be therapeutically targeted to treat disease

studies how the brain represents and uses uncertainty and she also co-founded the online summer school, Neuromatch Academy

studies the connection between neurodegeneration and neurogenesis

Communication between distant brain regions is mediated by plastic networks of gap junction-coupled astrocytes.

studies language and cognition, and how the underlying brain circuits are altered in neurodevelopmental disorders

studies how the mPFC integrates environmental cues to control adaptive responses to threat

The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.

Learning by imitation is the foundation for verbal and musical expression, but its underlying neural basis remains obscure. A juvenile male zebra finch imitates the multisyllabic song of an adult tutor in a process that depends on a song-specialized cortico-basal ganglia circuit, affording a powerful system to identify the synaptic substrates of imitative motor learning. Plasticity at a particular set of cortico-basal ganglia synapses is hypothesized to drive rapid learning-related changes in song before these changes are subsequently consolidated in downstream circuits. Nevertheless, this hypothesis is untested and the synaptic locus where learning initially occurs is unknown. By combining a computational framework to quantify song learning with synapse-specific optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations within and directly downstream of the cortico-basal ganglia circuit, we identified the specific cortico-basal ganglia synapses that drive the acquisition and expression of rapid vocal changes during juvenile song learning and characterized the hours-long timescale over which these changes consolidate. Furthermore, transiently augmenting postsynaptic activity in the basal ganglia briefly accelerates learning rates and persistently alters song, demonstrating a direct link between basal ganglia activity and rapid learning. These results localize the specific cortico-basal ganglia synapses that enable a juvenile songbird to learn to sing and reveal the circuit logic and behavioral timescales of this imitative learning paradigm. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. National Institutes of Health, K99 NS144525 (DCS), F32 MH132152 (DCS), F31 HD098772 (SB), R01 NS099288 (RM), RF1 NS118424 (RM and JP)

studies how early neural activity sculpts developing brain circuits and informs our understanding of neuroplasticity and neurodegenerative disease.

studies the neural circuits that govern social bonding and social loss, and how variations in these circuits shape emotional outcomes

Dopamine encoding of reward prediction errors naturally fluctuates over females’ reproductive cycles with estrogenic signaling due to reduced expression of dopamine reuptake proteins.

We are seeking postdocs to start in 2026!

studies mate selection and female sexual behavior