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Teaching Interests Neurophysiology, Electrophysiology,
Introductory Neuroscience and Laboratory, Neural Circuits and Neural
Networks, Neuroscience of Thought.
Research Interests Neural correlates of decision making,
computer modeling of neural circuits and mental function, and the
neural control of hormonal release in reproduction.
Overview: My lab is interested in the principles underlying
how groups of neurons communicate with each other so as to result
in an organism's behavior and cognition.
The lab has two research areas of focus. One area of research is
on human decision making processes. The lab uses EEG signals recorded
from human participants making rapid decisions to examine how probability,
reward, and personality, for example, affect cortical circuits underlying
decision making. In parallel with the EEG experiments, the lab employs
computational modeling of neural circuits in the frontal cortex
to simulate how neurons might accomplish similar decision making.
The second area of focus is to study how neuronal circuits can produce
a simpler, more stereotyped kind of neural output signal. Since
extremely complex interactions between many brain cells result in
relatively simple output patterns from the brain to the endocrine
organs, this is a "simple" model to investigate the mechanisms
the brain uses to produce patterned output. We examine how groups
of neurons synchronize and time their output. We use the pulsatile
signal from the brain of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone,
which regulates the onset of puberty and adult reproductive competence,
as our model system. The lab uses cellular and sub-cellular approaches
and most recently computer models to gain a broader understanding
of the mechanisms which are used to create this specific pattern
of neural output.
Current Projects: Research projects presently ongoing
with students doing Honors and independent research are focused
on EEG studies looking at changes
in frontal cortex and modeling
of decision making circuits using simulated neurons with fairly
realistic anatomy and physiology.
Michael.D.Loose@oberlin.edu
Office Science Center A238
Phone x8357
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