Archived Seminar: Chemistry of the Adaptive Mind
Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar presented by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Archived Seminar: Chemistry of the Adaptive Mind
Date: Apr. 9, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
About This Lecture
The human brain faces a variety of computational tradeoffs, such as the flexibility/stability tradeoff. In this lecture, Dr. Cools will argue that the major ascending neuromodulatory systems originating from the midbrain are well suited to dynamically regulate these computational tradeoffs depending on our constantly changing task demands. Her working hypothesis follows from a number of general principles of chemical neuromodulation, which she will illustrate by reviewing evidence from recent pharmacological PET/fMRI studies on (cost/benefit decision making about) cognitive control. These studies also begin to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the huge variability in catecholaminergic drug effects across different individuals and behaviours.
Additional Details
This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Human Neuroscience Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. Presented virtually via Zoom primarily for research and clinical audiences, the lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.
You May Also Be Interested In...
-
Home ItemPioneers in Biomedical Research: Inter-Organelle Communication Pathways and Dynamics Revealed by Imaging , home
Sept. 9, 2022, 11 a.m. | Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Ph.D. | Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series
-
Home ItemPioneers in Biomedical Research: Regulation of Endothelial Cell Specialization , home
Sept. 16, 2022, 11 a.m. | Karen K. Hirschi, Ph.D. | Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series
-
Home ItemMedical Scholar Lecture: Albinism: Can It Become a Treatable Disease? , home
Sept. 16, 2022, 1 to 2 p.m. | Brian Brooks, M.D., Ph.D. | Timothy A. Johnson Medical Scholar Lecture Series
-
Home ItemPublic Lecture: Socially-Directed Science and Technology: Design at the Intersection of History, Sustainability, and Equity with Applications to Biotechnology and Biomaterials , home
Sept. 22, 2022, 5:30 p.m. | Christine Ortiz, Ph.D. | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
-
Home ItemPioneers in Biomedical Research: Connectomics of Addiction Recovery , home
Sept. 23, 2022, 11:00 am. | Sarah Yip, Ph.D. | Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series

Roshan Cools, Ph.D.
Professor; Chair of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegan Medical Centre; Principal Investigator, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University