Josh McDermott is Associate Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Computational Audition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After finishing a BA in Brain and Cognitive Science at Harvard University, Dr. McDermott studied at the newly formed Gatsby Unit in London, where he earned an MPhil in Computational Neuroscience. He returned to the US for a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science from MIT.

Abstract:

Our understanding of the brain’s beautiful and complex machinery is largely driven by our ability to measure the chemical and electrical signals that govern its convoluted circuitry. As such, our knowledge is only as good as the tools we have at our disposal. The study of neurochemistry and neuropharmacology research has largely been driven by the use of microdialysis and electrochemical methods to measure targets of interest in the brain. While these techniques are powerful and have contributed immensely to our conceptualization of brain activity, they are not without their limitations.

Julian Gerson

A novel method for measuring Blood Brain Barrier kinetics using
Electrochemical Aptamer-Based biosensors

Kasie Mays

Serotonergic Fibers as Random Walks-A Spatial Analysis