Rui M. Costa

Rui M. Costa is a Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University, with appointments in Neurology and the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. His research focuses on understanding how molecular networks in the brain influence neural circuits to shape behaviors, particularly in action control and disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

• Primary Affiliation: Columbia University
• Departments: Neuroscience, Neurology
• Institute: Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute

Research Interests

• Molecular and neural circuit mechanisms of action control
• Goal-directed actions vs. habits
• Behavioral disorders: Autism and OCD
• Neural plasticity in motor learning

Publication Trends

His recent work explores corticostriatal dynamics, basal ganglia pathways, and endocannabinoid modulation in habit formation. Studies also investigate Foxp2 mutations, motor learning consolidation, and two-photon imaging of neural activity in rodents.