معرفی
Naoshige Uchida is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He leads the Uchida Lab, which focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying sensory processing, decision making, and reward-based learning. His research employs a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioral paradigms, electrophysiological recordings, molecular tools, and computational modeling to investigate how neural circuits process information and guide behavior.
Dr. Uchida's research interests center on the neuronal processes by which sensory information and memory about previous experiences guide animal behavior. His lab has developed sophisticated odor-guided perceptual decision tasks in rats and mice, combined with multi-electrode recording techniques to monitor neural activity during behavior. A major focus of his work examines dopamine signaling, particularly how dopamine neurons encode reward prediction errors and contribute to learning. His research spans multiple levels of analysis from neural circuit dynamics to computational principles of decision making.
Analysis of Dr. Uchida's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on dopamine signaling in the striatum, particularly in the tail region, and its role in value-based decision making, threat processing, and social behavior. His work increasingly integrates computational approaches including reinforcement learning models, deep learning for neural data analysis, and distributional coding frameworks. There is a clear trajectory toward understanding how neural circuits represent uncertainty, perform probabilistic inference, and implement hierarchical decision processes that bridge sensory input to behavioral output.
Dr. Uchida has made significant contributions to understanding the neural basis of decision making, with particular emphasis on dopamine signaling and striatal function. His work has implications for understanding both normal cognitive processes and disorders involving disrupted reward processing. Through his leadership of the Uchida Lab, he continues to advance our understanding of how neural circuits implement the computations necessary for adaptive behavior.
His research program involves extensive collaboration across disciplines, utilizing advanced techniques including multi-electrode recordings, optogenetics, viral tracing, and computational modeling. The lab maintains strong connections with other neuroscience research groups at Harvard and beyond, contributing to a vibrant research environment focused on understanding the neural basis of cognition and behavior.
