Mentor Areas
Research Interests: Animal Learning and Behavior Control of Action Decision Processes; Individual Differences and Behavior Genetics; Brain and Society Circuits and Behavior Neurological; Neuropsychiatric Disorders Decision Making; Neuromarketing
Our lab tries to understand how the brain makes decisions. We are particularly interested in the biological mechanisms that allow people and other animals to make decisions when the environment is ambiguous or complicated by the presence of other individuals. We use a broad array of techniques, including single neuron recordings, micro-stimulation, neuropharmacology, eye tracking, brain imaging, and genomics to answer these questions. Our work is motivated by ethology, evolutionary biology, and economics, with a focus on how specific features of the physical and social environment have shaped the biological mechanisms that mediate decisions. We are particularly interested in why different people make different kinds of decisions. And we are also keen to know why people sometimes make very similar, and sometimes make very different, decisions than other animals do. We use what we learn from these studies to develop new treatments for disorders attended by impaired decision making or altered social behavior. And we are beginning to explore the application of neuroscience knowledge and techniques to business practice and education.
Description:
We have multiple projects at all times that are suitable for undergraduate participation, including:
- How the brain makes decisions;
- The genetic basis of social behavior;
- Using eye tracking to predict development of neurodevelopment disorders;
- Using eye tracking and pupillometry to predict advertising success;
- Using neuroscience to evaluate leadership and team-training;
- Exploring the potential for oxyoticin and brain stimulation as therapies for autism and other disorders; etc.
Preferred Qualifications
Responsibilites will varies with the project. Students must have energy, dedication, and sense of responsibility.
Computer skills (e.g. Matlab, Python, R) are useful.
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. Platt Lab
Details:
Preferred Student Year
First-year, Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.