he Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) is thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael J. Frank, Edgar L. Marston Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science at Brown University, as our distinguished plenary speaker for the Brain Health Institute Plenary Seminar Series. This event, scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 12:00 PM at Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Aidekman Building, Room 103 Rutgers University-Newark, promises to spark innovative dialogues at the intersection of computational neuroscience, decision-making, and basal ganglia circuits—key to understanding motivated behaviors and disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Michael J. Frank
Dr. Frank’s trajectory in neuroscience exemplifies a seamless integration of engineering rigor and cognitive inquiry. He earned a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada, in 1997, followed by an M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Biomedicine) from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2000, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Psychology from the same institution in 2004. His doctoral research, advised by Dr. Randall C. O’Reilly, explored dynamic dopamine modulation of striato-cortical circuits in cognition—a foundation for his lifelong pursuit of how neural networks drive learning and choice. Launching his independent career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona in 2006, Dr. Frank joined Brown University in 2009. There, he advanced rapidly: Associate Professor from 2011 to 2016, full Professor in Cognitive and Psychological Sciences since 2016, Edgar L. Marston Professor since 2018, and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science since 2020. In these roles, he oversees interdisciplinary efforts to model brain function, bridging theory with empirical data to advance computational psychiatry.

Abstract of the Talk: “Frontosubthalamic Control over Motivated Action”

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is the primary region targeted by deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson’s patients. While STN-DBS is effective, it can also induce cognitive side effects. Synthesizing anatomical, electrophysiological, and lesion data, we developed a computational account of how the STN contributes to action selection and decision making. In the model, the STN detects “conflict” among competing cortical actions and, in turn, sends a “hold your horses” signal to temporarily prevent the striatum from prematurely selecting a response. We have studied this mechanism at levels of computation that are both more abstract (functional and cognitive) and more biophysical (mechanism). We showed that neural dynamics within the frontal cortex-STN network can be summarized in terms of more abstract mathematical models of decision dynamics in the form of sequential sampling models, wherein STN activity increases the effective “decision threshold.” Several key predictions from this model have been supported: decision conflict induces low-frequency cortical and STN dynamics, which in turn support adaptive decision making by altering the decision threshold. Moreover, interfering with this mechanism via STN-DBS reduces the decision threshold and induces impulsivity. At the biophysical level, we have built a large-scale model of the STN and its interaction with other basal ganglia nuclei to study the mechanisms that give rise to low-frequency oscillations related to decision conflict. This work identified NMDA receptors within the STN and architectural constraints that induce the observed neural dynamics, consistent with recent reports that NMDA modulation within STN can be leveraged to modulate impulsivity. This work truly shows the impact of multilevel modeling from circuit to function to biophysics.

Date and Time: Thursday, November 6, 12:00 PM

Location: Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Aidekman Building, Room 103, Rutgers University-Newark

Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/94853284352?pwd=8RXaZaXDxrUU388axsH8TV6PbnqsQj.1
Meeting code: 948 5328 4352 Password: 110625

Hosted by Dr. Travis Baker, Associate Professor, the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark

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