Michale S Fee

Michale S Fee is the Department Head of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and holds the Glen V. and Phyllis F. Dorflinger Professorship at MIT. He is also an Investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Dr. Fee earned his PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford University (1992) and joined MIT in 2003. His research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds, neural circuit dynamics, and the development of advanced neural recording technologies.

Education:

• PhD in Applied Physics, Stanford University, 1992

Research Interests:

Dr. Fee investigates how complex sequential behaviors like birdsong are generated and learned. His work combines electrophysiology, imaging, and computational modeling to study neural circuits involved in vocal control. Key areas include:

• Neuronal sequence generation in the avian brain
• Role of basal ganglia and thalamic pathways in motor learning
• Design of wearable neural recording devices for in vivo studies

Grants & Labs:

He leads the McGovern Institute's efforts in neural circuitry research and oversees departmental initiatives at the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. His lab develops innovative tools such as head-mounted microscopes for large-scale neural recordings.