Cory Miller

Cory Miller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he leads the Cortical Systems & Behavior Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding the cortical basis of behavior with an emphasis on species-typical natural behaviors in marmoset monkeys. Dr. Miller's work spans the continuum of sensory to motor processes, investigating sensory recognition, categorization, sensory-motor interactions, and decision-making through integrated approaches combining field and laboratory experiments with neural techniques such as single-unit neurophysiology.

Dr. Miller's research program is organized around three primary projects: Social Communication, which examines the co-evolution of brain and behavior in marmoset vocal communication systems; Navigating Social Space, which investigates how primates represent both spatial position and social identity through medial temporal lobe structures; and Natural Vision, which explores active vision by studying marmosets as they hunt insects in naturalistic conditions. His lab leverages the unique advantages of the marmoset model, including its highly similar visual and oculomotor system to humans, recent development of transgenic lines, and smooth lissencephalic brain that facilitates neural recording. This approach provides novel platforms to examine the complex interplay between social, ecological, and neurobiological factors that contribute to primate behavior.

Dr. Miller's publication record demonstrates a strong focus on naturalistic approaches to studying brain function, with recent work emphasizing active vision in freely moving marmosets, neural basis of vocal communication, and spatial navigation in primate hippocampus. His research shows a clear trajectory toward more ecologically valid paradigms that bridge the gap between controlled laboratory experiments and natural behavior, with increasing emphasis on cross-modal integration, social cognition, and ethologically relevant neural mechanisms.

Dr. Miller's research is supported by multiple grants from prestigious funding sources:

• National Institute of Health grant R01 DC012097
• Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant 19RT0316
• National Institute of Health grant R01 NS109294
• National Institute of Health grant U01 NS116377
• National Institute of Health grant R01 NS118457
• National Institute of Health grant U24 MH123423

Dr. Miller actively mentors the next generation of neuroscientists, currently advising graduate students Brendan Prendergast (researching the Cocktail Party Paradigm in marmosets) and Tim Tyree (studying computational efficiency of the visual system), along with postdoctoral fellows Vikram Pal Singh, Dori Grijseels, Jingwen Li, and Arthur Lefevre. His laboratory has trained numerous successful alumni who have gone on to academic and research positions, demonstrating his commitment to comprehensive scientific training and professional development.

The Cortical Systems & Behavior Laboratory maintains strong collaborative relationships with researchers at The Salk Institute, particularly Ed Callaway and John Reynolds in Systems Neurobiology. The lab is affiliated with both the UCSD Psychology Graduate Program and the Neurosciences Graduate Program, providing interdisciplinary training opportunities for students interested in the neural basis of natural behavior. Dr. Miller's team of neuroscientists is dedicated to advancing our understanding of how cortical circuits support complex behavior in ecologically relevant contexts.