David Freedman, PhD

Computational Cognitive and Visual Neuroscience



Through experience, we learn to interpret the sights and sounds around us and to make decisions that move us closer to achieving our goals. Our ability to learn from and adapt to our ever changing environment is a foundation of complex behavior, as it allows us to make sense of incoming sensory stimuli and to plan successful actions. To study these questions, our laboratory uses advanced neurophysiological and behavioral techniques, in parallel with machine learning approaches for studying cognitive computations in artificial neural networks. Together, our work is providing insights into the brain mechanisms of visual learning, recognition and decision making.

Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
Postdoctoral - Neurobiology
2008

M.I.T.
Cambridge, MA
Ph.D. - Systems Neuroscience
2002

Redundant representations are required to disambiguate simultaneously presented complex stimuli.
Redundant representations are required to disambiguate simultaneously presented complex stimuli. PLoS Comput Biol. 2023 08; 19(8):e1011327.
PMID: 37556470

Posterior Parietal Cortex Plays a Causal Role in Abstract Memory-Based Visual Categorical Decisions.
Posterior Parietal Cortex Plays a Causal Role in Abstract Memory-Based Visual Categorical Decisions. J Neurosci. 2023 06 07; 43(23):4315-4328.
PMID: 37137703

Schema formation in a neural population subspace underlies learning-to-learn in flexible sensorimotor problem-solving.
Schema formation in a neural population subspace underlies learning-to-learn in flexible sensorimotor problem-solving. Nat Neurosci. 2023 05; 26(5):879-890.
PMID: 37024575

Low-dimensional encoding of decisions in parietal cortex reflects long-term training history.
Low-dimensional encoding of decisions in parietal cortex reflects long-term training history. Nat Commun. 2023 02 23; 14(1):1010.
PMID: 36823109

Primate superior colliculus is engaged in abstract higher-order cognition.
Primate superior colliculus is engaged in abstract higher-order cognition. bioRxiv. 2023 Jan 18.
PMID: 36711713

Cleaning of anthropometric data from PCORnet electronic health records using automated algorithms.
Cleaning of anthropometric data from PCORnet electronic health records using automated algorithms. JAMIA Open. 2022 Dec; 5(4):ooac089.
PMID: 36339053

Abstract Encoding of Categorical Decisions in Medial Superior Temporal and Lateral Intraparietal Cortices.
Abstract Encoding of Categorical Decisions in Medial Superior Temporal and Lateral Intraparietal Cortices. J Neurosci. 2022 11 30; 42(48):9069-9081.
PMID: 36261285

Primate neuronal connections are sparse in cortex as compared to mouse.
Primate neuronal connections are sparse in cortex as compared to mouse. Cell Rep. 2021 09 14; 36(11):109709.
PMID: 34525373

Distributed functions of prefrontal and parietal cortices during sequential categorical decisions.
Distributed functions of prefrontal and parietal cortices during sequential categorical decisions. Elife. 2021 09 07; 10.
PMID: 34491201

Interaction between neuronal encoding and population dynamics during categorization task switching in parietal cortex.
Interaction between neuronal encoding and population dynamics during categorization task switching in parietal cortex. Neuron. 2021 02 17; 109(4):700-712.e4.
PMID: 33326754

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