Samuel M. McClure

The Decision Neuroscience Laboratory studies the neural basis of human decision making. This includes both how we learn the value of goods and actions in the world and how we use this information to decide between different actions. Models of decision making are rooted in brain function. Recent work has particularly emphasized the function of the midbrain dopamine system and how this interacts with areas in the prefrontal and parietal cortices to produce decisions. Other work investigates how individual (e.g. age) and environmental (e.g. social context) differences are reflected concomitantly in brain function and behavior. The Decision Neuroscience Laboratory studies the neural basis of human decision making. This includes both how we learn the value of goods and actions in the world and how we use this information to decide between different actions. Models of decision making are rooted in brain function. Recent work has particularly emphasized the function of the midbrain dopamine system and how this interacts with areas in the prefrontal and parietal cortices to produce decisions. Other work investigates how individual (e.g. age) and environmental (e.g. social context) differences are reflected concomitantly in brain function and behavior.