Michael N. Shadlen

Neuroscientist and neurologist Michael Shadlen, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Columbia University; a principal investigator at the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

He studies the brain mechanisms that underlie decision-making, visual perception and timing, essential seeking an understanding of how we turn visual signals into behavior. His studies combine neurophysiology, behavioral and computational techniques. By investigating the neural mechanisms that guide decision making, Shadlen 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. He hopes his work to decipher the fundamental components of cognition will one day help treat people with disorders ranging from schizophrenia to autism to dementia.

He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.