Junior research group
Several internationally renowned local neuroscience groups have already started to investigate mechanisms underlying learning and memory in both humans and animals. With the excellent research infrastructure of the ZMNH and the expertise of researchers in molecular/cellular neuroscience on the one hand and the great expertise of other neuroscientific groups working on human and cognitive neuroscience of learning and memory on the other hand, Hamburg provides a unique environment for a bridging research group between the two institutions. The group is expected to investigate phenomena in humans that can be directly compared with an animal model, e.g. by using common paradigms like classical and operant conditioning or spatial learning in combination with neuropharmacological challenges or genetic approaches.
In addition, as computational models have enormous explanatory power in the study of reinforcement learning behavior and underlying neural activity, this new group is expected to tightly connect with the new computational neuroscience group.
