Events

Elisabeth A. Murray, PHD - Chief, Section on the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology
National Institute of Mental Health, NIH

 Jan 22, 2026 @ 3:00 p.m.

ABSTRACT

The adaptive capabilities of animals and humans are remarkable. Some of our most astonishing abilities appear to stem from contributions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), yet there are few well defined and experimentally verified specializations within PFC. To address this shortcoming, our laboratory investigates the causal contributions of the ventral and medial prefrontal cortex to learning and decision making in macaques. For example, studies using permanent, selective lesions have contrasted the causal contributions of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the neighboring ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) to decision making. We found that OFC and VLPFC play complementary roles in tracking changes in value and—by extension—decision making. The former depends on dynamic internal states; the latter depends on dynamic external contingencies (Murray and Rudebeck, 2018). Other studies have examined the PFC contributions to social cognition. We found that medial frontal cortex (MFC) but not OFC is essential for aspects of social valuation, in part through interactions with the amygdala (Pujara et al., 2022).

Conclusions: In macaques, MFC and OFC contribute to social cognition and value-based decision-making, respectively, in part through interactions with the amygdala. Thus, specialized prefrontal areas contribute to choices relating to conspecifics or choices independent of others.

Ivan Tkac, PhD - Assistant Professor of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota

 Feb 11, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.

Localized proton (¹H) MR spectroscopy (MRS) has made notable progress over the last 25 years by increasing the range of detectable brain metabolites in living organisms and by improving the precision and reliability of their quantification. The major advantage of MRS is the in vivo nature, which allows to monitor the progression of neurological diseases, as well as the response to treatments. In the beginning of my talk, I will outline the basic principles of the MRS technique, explain the benefits of ultra-high magnetic fields for in vivo neurochemical quantification and discuss the possibilities and challenges in wider research and clinical applications. In the second part, I will show examples of in vivo MRS applications in animal models (brain development, neurodegenerative diseases) and in humans (neurodegeneration, brain activation)

Host: Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Seminar Speaker Series