Dr. Anton Dvorzhak is a neuroscience researcher at the Institute of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, actively contributing to Collaborative Research Center 1315 (SFB 1315). His work focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying memory formation, synaptic plasticity, and social behavior, particularly examining hippocampal neuron dynamics and periaqueductal gray function. His research interests center on hippocampal oscillations during memory processes , synaptic transmission mechanisms , and the neurobiological basis of social play behavior . Using advanced techniques including 2-photon imaging, optogenetics, and electron microscopy, his work bridges cellular neuroscience with behavioral outcomes, particularly investigating how neurotransmitter systems like glycine regulate age-dependent changes in play behavior. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on subcortical mechanisms of social behavior , with particular emphasis on the periaqueductal gray's role in play and tickling responses. His work demonstrates how specific neural columns within this region map to distinct behavioral responses, and how glycine modulation can reverse age-related declines in social play. His cellular neuroscience work shows how synaptic ultrastructure rapidly remodels during presynaptic potentiation, providing structural correlates for functional changes in synaptic strength.
Daniel Hackman is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Southern California, with research focusing on how social and environmental contexts influence developmental trajectories of health and well-being across the lifespan. His work examines how socioeconomic, family, and neighborhood factors, particularly in early childhood, become associated with cognitive, affective, and biological systems that influence healthy development. He is affiliated with the USC Spatial Sciences Institute and employs a multi-method, interdisciplinary approach integrating population health, psychology, neuroscience, and social work. Dr. Hackman's educational background includes: PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of Pennsylvania (2012) MA, University of Pennsylvania (2007) MA, Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (2006) ScB, Brown University (1998) Dr. Hackman's research focuses on executive function and stress reactivity at behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological levels. He investigates how early life experiences, particularly socioeconomic factors, shape developmental trajectories of health and cognition. His work often employs longitudinal designs and integrates tools from multiple disciplines. Recently, he has developed virtual reality-based experimental models of neighborhood disadvantage to study environmental effects on development. His research aims to identify mechanisms that promote health and attenuate risk processes to inform more effective policy and programmatic approaches for reducing socioeconomic disparities. Analysis of Dr. Hackman's recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong focus on the intersection of environmental factors (particularly air pollution and neighborhood characteristics) with brain development and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. His work frequently examines how socioeconomic status moderates these relationships, with a particular emphasis on health disparities. The research employs advanced neuroimaging techniques alongside epidemiological methods to understand the biological embedding of social experiences. Dr. Hackman's notable scientific recognition includes: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar (2014-2016) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Dr. Hackman has secured research funding including an NIH R21 grant (HD099596) for "Adolescent responses to varying environments in virtual reality simulations" (2019-2021), where he served as Principal Investigator. His research program demonstrates a consistent trajectory of investigating how social and environmental contexts become biologically embedded to influence developmental trajectories of health and well-being. Dr. Hackman's work incorporates a virtual reality-based experimental model of neighborhood disadvantage and affluence to study neighborhood effects on development. His research team collaborates across disciplines, including neuroscience, environmental health, and social work, to address complex questions about developmental disparities.
