When you have the capability to hold something in your mind without input from the world, then you are free from immediacy, and free to develop a flexible response. This fundamental role of memory circuitry forms the core interest of Xiao-Jing Wang's research. With Paul Verschure he discusses how memory systems differ between sensory, motor, and cortical processing areas that are involved with decision making. Coming from a background in physics, Xiao-Jing Wang (Yale University School of Medicine, USA) has assessed neural structure modeling using attractor network dynamics, in order to describe mathematically a system that can be in a number of different persistent states. Besides fast switches, also slow transients can be found in circuitries that integrate information in decision making over time. Experimental paradigms are discussed to test Wang's model with respect to recurrent neuro-circuitry, coherence of stimuli, and reward dependent plasticity, as well as the connection to what is observed at the behavioral level.

About the lecturerHe is a professor at the Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine. His interests are in dynamics, computation and memory in cortical neural circuits, with an emphasis on working memory, decision making and the role of prefrontal cortex in cognition.