Stan Floresco

Dr. Stan Floresco is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and an Investigator at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. He earned his PhD from the University of British Columbia in 2000. His laboratory, the Neural Circuits and Cognition Laboratory, investigates neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes using rodent models.

His research program focuses on neural circuits facilitating learning, cognition, and executive functioning, with emphasis on prefrontal-subcortical interactions. Key research areas include:

• Behavioral flexibility and adaptive decision-making
• Cost-benefit analysis in reward-seeking behaviors
• Neural basis of cognitive impairments in psychiatric disorders
• Pharmacological and optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits
• Neurodevelopmental impacts of substance exposure

Analysis of publication trends reveals consistent focus on prefrontal cortex function, dopamine-glutamate interactions, and translational models of psychiatric disorders. His work integrates behavioral assessment with advanced techniques including in vivo neurophysiology, optogenetics, and chemogenetics.

Dr. Floresco has received significant recognition for his contributions:

• Killam Teaching Prize (2020)
• Daniel H. Efron Research Award (2019)
• Killam Faculty Research Fellowship (2012)
• American Psychological Association Award (2010)
• Killam Faculty Research Prize (2009)
• Michael Smith Foundation Scholar Award (2002, 2008)
• Robert E. Knox Master Teaching Award (2007)

His laboratory trains graduate students through UBC's Psychology and Neuroscience programs, emphasizing cellular/molecular neuroscience approaches to study cognition. Research is supported by multiple grants investigating prefrontal regulation of executive functions and decision-making pathologies.