Ross Williamson

Ross Williamson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding how neural circuits process sensory information to guide behavior in health and disease, with a particular emphasis on auditory systems. He employs experimental and computational approaches to study perceptual decision-making, sensory-guided foraging, acoustic communication, and the neural basis of auditory hallucinations in psychiatric disorders.

Using cutting-edge techniques such as two-photon microscopy, optogenetics, fiber photometry, and machine learning, Williamson's lab investigates brain-wide neural networks in awake, behaving mice. Key methods include chronic neural recordings during naturalistic tasks, vocalization tracking, and anatomical connectivity mapping. His work bridges experimental physiology, computational modeling, and behavioral analysis to uncover how neural dynamics underpin sensory-driven actions.

Williamson's research also explores the impact of internal states (e.g., arousal, attention) on behavioral outcomes and how disruptions in neural signaling contribute to cognitive deficits. The lab integrates interdisciplinary strategies to address fundamental questions about the neurobiology of perception and action, with implications for understanding disorders like schizophrenia and autism.