Titled “Rules + Rhythms = Cognition,” Miller's lecture will explore how volitional control over working memory may be implemented by the interaction between information carried by cortical rhythms.
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) awarded the 2016 Goldman-Rakic Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Cognitive Neuroscience to Miller at the BBRF 29th Annual International Awards Dinner in New York City last fall.
Building on Pat Goldman-Rakic’s groundbreaking studies, Dr. Miller’s work in primates has broken new ground in the understanding of cognition. Using innovative experimental and theoretical approaches to study the neural basis of high-level cognitive functions, his laboratory has provided insights into how categories, concepts, and rules are learned, how attention is focused, and how the brain coordinates thought and action. The laboratory has developed techniques for studying the activity of many neurons in multiple brain areas simultaneously, providing insight into how different brain structures interact and collaborate. This work has established a foundation upon which to construct more detailed, mechanistic accounts of how executive control is implemented in the brain and its dysfunction in diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder, and has led to new approaches relevant to severe mental illnesses in children and adults.
Last year’s Goldman-Rakic Prize-winner was Amy Arnsten, professor of neuroscience and of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and a former post-doctoral fellow with Patricia Goldman-Rakic.
Adapted from a press release by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.