In this lecture, Michael Shadlen, MD, PhD, discusses exciting new insights into how the brain makes decisions — from the simple to the complex — that lay the foundation for its most amazing abilities.

In his talk, Dr. Shadlen explores how complex thought can be boiled down to a series of decisions, made by the brain, to engage with the world around us. He suggests that decision making holds the key to thought, creativity and even consciousness itself. By researching the underlying brain mechanisms that make this all possible, Dr. Shadlen hopes to identify new strategies to battle neurological and psychiatric disorders that impair cognitive function.

Dr. Shadlen is a Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University Medical Center and a Principal Investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute. By investigating the neural mechanisms that guide decision making, his work offers a window into fascinating aspects of higher brain function, such as reasoning, planning and strategizing. His research further reveals that disruptions to these mechanisms could play a role in cognitive impairment. With improved knowledge of these critical neural processes, we may one day manipulate them to treat a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders that affect cognition.

This lecture is part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series, offered free to the public to enhance understanding of the biology of the mind and the complexity of human behavior. The lectures are hosted by Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

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