Lab Members

While studying at the University of Colorado Denver, I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects including studying the effect of smoking on tuberculosis diagnosis, executive function in Parkinson Disease and the neuroanatomy of volitional action.  After graduating with my Bachelor's of Science in Psychology, I spent time in industry using mycelial fermentation to develop sustainable food products.  This variety of experiences allowed me to confidently decide to study the human brain as a doctoral student at Yale.  My research interests include the neural correlates of consciousness, cross-brain coherence between dyads, and decision making.  I am a passionate advocate for diversity in higher education. I believe in promoting science-based political policy reform and am dedicated to leveraging science as a vehicle for social justice.

Dr. Blumenfeld's clinical and research work focuses on epilepsy, cognition and brain imaging. He directs Yale's Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center (CNIC), a new multi-disciplinary core facility for innovative study and treatment of brain disorders. Teaching activities include a textbook titled Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases, Sinauer Assoc., Publ. 2002, 2010, 2020.

My primary research interest is in the intersection of sensory perception and cognition, and my current work is focusing on the process through which sensory events are consciously perceived. I have experience in sensory and perceptual neuroscience, neurophysiology, and in developing and implementing psychophysical behavioral paradigms.

Isaac matriculated to Yale School of Medicine in 2017 as an MD student. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Physics. At Pitt, he was the chair of the Green Fund Advisory Board, a part of student government that provided support and funding to sustainable projects on- and off-campus. He went on to earn his MPH from Columbia University focusing on Health Policy & Management with a certificate in Comparative Effectiveness Outcomes Research and worked in consulting and healthcare administration in New York City. At Yale, Isaac's research interests span clinical and basic science and healthcare policy.

I am a trained clinical neurologist and have always been interested in combining clinical practice with a better understanding of disease concepts and pathomechanisms from basic research. In my education and training, I have taken a multidisciplinary approach that allows me to explore topics such as the application of real-time processing of brain biosignals to the analysis of epileptiform phenomena that may result in transient impairment of behavior and cognition. A second focus is to study the development of epilepsy and resistance to therapy with seizure suppressing drugs from the perspective of genetics.

Sharif is a PhD candidate at Yale University studying the neural mechanisms of consciousness using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), scalp/intracranial electroencephalography (EEG), pupillometry, and machine learning. Sharif's primary interests include neuroscience, neuroethics, the philosophy of mind, and consciousness. Sharif is also active in science communication and outreach. Find more information at: sharifkronemer.com

Medical Student Research Fellow

Matthew grew up in New York and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2019 with a B.A. in neuroscience. In college, he worked with Dr. Matthijs van der Meer and investigated theta rhythms in the brain. He then joined Yale's Department of Neurology and worked with Dr. Kevin Sheth as a postgraduate research associate, driving the development and deployment of a novel portable MRI device. With these dual experiences in basic and clinical research, Matthew is motivated to conduct integrative bench-to-bedside research as a physician-scientist to advance the diagnosis and treatment of brain disease.