TNT Scholar: 2022 – 2023
Memory is an active process that allows for the recall of previous experiences, shaping how we interpret the present moment and plan future behavior. My research seeks to understand the mechanisms and function of how memories organize and reorganize in the brain across time. To achieve this, I use a combination of techniques from molecular, systems, and behavioral neuroscience within a rodent model system and classical fear memory paradigms.
Mentor: Laura DeNardo, Ph.D.
TNT Scholar: 2022 – 2024
My name is Ricky Savjani, a resident physician in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA. My research interests lie in leveraging population inferences to understand the underpinnings of human cognition and to better guide oncological care for cancer patients. This also includes functional sparing and optimal delivery of radiation to the brain to minimize toxicity and cognitive impairments. I am interested in functional and structural neuroimaging using MRI to tackle these challenges. Additionally, I am interested in AI, brain brachytherapy, and functional radiosurgery. I am thrilled to be able to participate in the UCLA TNT program to turn ideas into technologies to optimize individual patient care.
Mentor: Daniel Low, Ph.D.
TNT Scholar: 2022 – 2024
I’m interested in how the brain processes reward in both direct and vicarious experiences, and in particular, how these processes may alter one’s neural representations of the environment. My research approach will incorporate recordings of human intracranial activity and physiological markers of arousal as participants either ambulate freely or remain stationary during immersive augmented reality experiences.
Mentor: Nanthia Suthana, Ph.D.
TNT Scholar: 2022 – 2024
I study the differential contribution of cell-types in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex to the brain’s encoding of task-relevant information during adaptive decision-making. By comparing neural activity from mice with recordings from humans during a similar task, I hope to gain insight into the roles discrete neuron types play during cognitive tasks in humans.
Mentor: Peyman Golshani, M.D., Ph.D.
