Maria Medalla

Maria Medalla is an Associate Professor at Boston University School of Medicine, specializing in cortical networks in primate cognitive and motor control. Her research focuses on understanding the biophysical and synaptic properties of neurons within functionally-related cortical networks using multi-scale anatomical techniques and cellular electrophysiology.

• Education: Ph.D. in Applied Anatomy and Physiology from Boston University Department of Health Sciences.

Her laboratory combines in vitro electrophysiological methods with advanced imaging techniques to investigate how limbic, sensory, and motor networks interact under the control of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This work has significant implications for understanding affective disorders like depression and anxiety, particularly through her focus on the medial prefrontal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in rhesus monkeys. Key techniques in her research include patch-clamp recording, pathway tract-tracing, immunohistochemical labeling for light and electron microscopy (EM), 3D serial EM, and confocal microscopy.