Anne Churchland

Anne Churchland is a Professor of Neurobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a research focus on perceptual decision-making and multisensory integration. Her work bridges experimental neuroscience with computational approaches to understand how the brain processes information and makes decisions.

Churchland's research interests span cognitive neuroscience, decision-making processes, neural circuit dynamics, and multisensory integration. Her laboratory employs advanced techniques including large-scale neural recordings, behavioral analysis, and computational modeling to investigate how neural populations encode information and guide decisions. She has made significant contributions to understanding how spontaneous movements influence neural activity and how different brain regions contribute to evidence accumulation during decision tasks.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward large-scale, collaborative neuroscience projects, particularly through the International Brain Laboratory. Her work increasingly focuses on developing and applying advanced tools for neural recording and analysis, including chronic Neuropixels probes and motion correction algorithms for extracellular recordings. Churchland's research spans multiple model organisms and integrates behavioral, electrophysiological, and computational approaches to address fundamental questions in systems neuroscience.

Scientific Awards

• Excellence in Postdoc Mentoring Award, UCLA, 2024
• James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Faculty Research Award, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020
• Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award, Society for Neuroscience, 2017
• Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award, Society for Neuroscience, 2012

Churchland leads an active research laboratory focused on perceptual decision-making and multisensory integration. She has secured funding from multiple prestigious sources including the National Science Foundation, NIH BRAIN Initiative, and Simons Foundation. Her lab is part of the International Brain Laboratory, a large-scale collaborative effort to standardize and reproduce measurements of decision-making in mice. Churchland has been instrumental in developing new tools and methodologies for chronic neural recordings across multiple brain areas simultaneously.

Her laboratory develops and implements cutting-edge techniques for large-scale neural recordings, including chronic Neuropixels probe implants and motion correction algorithms for high-density extracellular recordings. The lab actively participates in collaborative neuroscience initiatives, most notably the International Brain Laboratory, which aims to establish standardized approaches to studying neural circuits underlying decision-making.