REACH 2023-2025 Scholars

Elliot Smith, Ph.D.

My research focuses on representation and computation in ensembles of human neurons. The basic motivating question is “what are the neural computations that underlie archetypically human cognitive processes and how are they altered in neurological or psychiatric disorders?” The cognitive processes we are currently most interested in are value-based decisions, rapid, flexible cognitive control, and social cognition. To study neuronal computation during cognition in humans, we record single neuron and local field potential activity from the brains of neurosurgical patients undergoing monitoring for treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, and in the operating room during awake surgeries for implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes. These recordings are rare (approximately one per month on average), so the majority of the time in the lab is spent analyzing and modeling large datasets of brain data.

Robby Campbell, Ph.D.

The primary goal of Dr. Campbell’s research is to determine how blood clots induce robust transcriptional and translational responses in immune cells, which promotes inflammation and thrombosis. During my training, I have focused on dissecting the mechanisms behind how cells alter coagulation under normal and disease situations. Recently, I have begun to examine how hemostasis and thrombosis in turn alters platelet and immune cell inflammatory response.

Eric Huang, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Huang is from the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Oncological Sciences and has a longstanding interest in tumor hypoxia and brain tumors. His research is specifically focused on glioma—the most common type of primary brain malignancies, aiming to make molecular discoveries that will lead to new insights and approaches for improving the treatment and patient survival. These studies require a wide range of experimental approaches including molecular and cell biology, metabolism, genomics, genetic mouse models, and bioinformatic analysis of patient data.