Internal Drives Into Action
Who we are
The Schroeder Lab investigates how the brain generates emotions, motivations, and needs, and then uses this information to adapt behavior in dynamic environments.
What we do
Survival requires accurate and rapid implementation of adaptive behavior. In a world where our physiological needs and surrounding environment are constantly changing, even the smallest error can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.
In all instances, these critical choices are powerfully shaped by the way that we feel. Our emotions, motivations, and needs can drive drastically different reactions to the same sensory cues and contexts.
These feelings arise from changes in internal states such as anxiety, fatigue, sexual arousal, hunger, and curiosity.
Which neural circuits process these state changes? How does the brain use this information to decide the best course of action at each moment? How does clinically applied neuromodulation shape state processing, and can it be used to treat neurological diseases with altered state representations?
To address these important outstanding questions, we use cutting-edge molecular, cellular, and circuit-level technologies, along with diverse behavioral paradigms and advanced machine learning techniques.
Our goal
The goal of the Schroeder lab is to identify the neural substrates and circuit mechanisms that underlie internal state-driven behavioral flexibility and develop new therapeutic directions for psychiatric disease.
Explore our researchOur team
The Schroeder lab will bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers committed to advancing neuroscience through innovative, collaborative research efforts.
