On March 14, 2025, Amy Monasterio successfully defended her PhD thesis, “Hippocampal Engram Dynamics Before & After Learning.” Congratulations Dr. Monasterio on this incredible achievement!
Naomi Shvedov Successfully Defends PhD Thesis
On February 21, 2025, Naomi Shvedov successfully defended her PhD thesis, “Dynamics and Mechanisms of Neuron Migration in the Adult Songbird Brain.” Congratulations Dr. Shvedov on this significant achievement!
Quan Do & Naomi Shvedov Capture Top Spots in Kilachand Community Research Photo Contest
The Kilachand Center hosted its first annual Research Photo Contest, inviting community members to vote for their favorite submissions.
Quan Do won first place for his photo, Blue Light Missing the 'Blue Spot', which showcases a fiber optic cannula implant for laser stimulation that did not find its way to the locus coeruleus.
Naomi Shvedov won second place for her photo, Foreign Beginnings, New Connections, which depicts a single neuron (green) in a bird brain that was originally from a different bird, yet has matured and formed synapses within the brain of its new host. After transplantation, the neuron migrated from the graft site, matured, and now highlights the remarkable capacity for adult neurogenesis in songbirds. Captured with fluorescence confocal microscopy, her image showcases an immunohistochemically-processed brain slice several weeks after the bird received its brain graft and offers insights into the regenerative capacity of the adult brain.
Congratulations Quan and Naomi!
GROW Program Students Present at Annual Symposium
On August 11, 2024, rising high school seniors Hana Alcantara and Emma Xiao showcased the research they conducted over six weeks in our lab under the guidance of Lab Manager Christa Rose and PhD Student Anosha Khawaja-Lopez. We enjoy hosting GROW Program students each summer and supporting the next generation of scientists as they develop their research and communication skills!
Rifqi Affan Successfully Defends PhD Thesis
On July 9, 2024, Rifqi Affan successfully defended his PhD thesis, “Neural Mechanisms of Planning,” becoming the first PhD student in our lab to achieve this significant accomplishment. Congratulations Dr. Affan!
Lab wins Scialog: Molecular Basis of Cognition Funding from RCSA
The lab will pursue a collaborative project with Kate Hong (CMU) and Matthew Lovett-Baron (UCSD) to study Cortical Control Over Subcortical Structures Using an Evolutionary Inspired Engineering Approach. Read more here.
Rifqi Affan wins NIH DSPAN Award
Rifqi Affan is a recipient of the 2022 NIH DSPAN award. Congratulations Rifqi!
Lab wins BBRF Young Investigator grant
Beginning this January, the lab will receive a two-year Young Investigator grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation to study the effects of social stress on hippocampal processing. Many thanks to the BBRF for support!
Naomi Shvedov awarded NSF NRT Neurophotonics Fellowship
GPN student Naomi Shvedov will be awarded a fellowship through the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program in Neurophotonics. Congratulations Naomi!
Meghan Garrity wins the CAS College Prize in Psychology
Meghan Garrity has been awarded the 2020 CAS College Prize for Excellence in Psychological and Brain Sciences. This award is given to the graduating senior who has had the greatest impact on the Psychology community through scholarship and service. Congratulations Meghan!
Kaesha Marantz to attend Oxford University
GROW program summer student Kaesha Marantz will attend Oxford University this fall. Oxford was her first choice! Congratulations Kaesha!
Amy Monasterio wins NSF NRT Fellowship
Graduate student Amy Monasterio will be awarded a fellowship through the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program in Neurophotonics. Congratulations Amy!
Lab wins Whitehall Foundation Research Grant
Beginning this July, the lab will receive a three-year research grant from the Whitehall Foundation for our work on decision-making. Many thanks to the Whitehall Foundation for supporting basic research into the neural mechanisms of behavior!
New Resources for Rat Cortical Imaging
Princeton University and Janelia Research Campus report two new resources for rat imaging in Neuron today. The first is cScope, a head-mounted, 3D-printable, widefield macroscope. Designs for cScope can be downloaded here. The second is two lines of Thy-1 GCaMP6f transgenic rats, which are available via the Rat Resource and Research Center.
Position available for research assistant / lab manager!
The Laboratory of Comparative Cognition at Boston University has a open position for a technical research assistant / lab manager. Duties include behavioral studies, working with DNA and gene editing technology, microscopy and, possibly, the undertaking of independent research projects. The position requires a 1-year minimum commitment and provides excellent training for medical school or graduate school.
If you are interested please email bbs [at] bu [dot] edu or apply here! We look forward to hearing from you!
New postdoctoral research opportunity available!
We are excited to announce a new opportunity for a postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Systems Neuroscience and the Neurophotonics Center at Boston University. The postdoctoral fellow will pioneer the use of cutting-edge technologies for in vivo imaging (e.g. three photon microscopy, functional ultrasound, head-mounted optical microscopes) to study the cellular and circuit mechanisms that support complex behavior and cognition. Training and research will be supported the laboratories of Drs. Benjamin Scott and David Boas. Project selection and research direction will be guided by the candidate’s interests; we are here to facilitate the fellow’s passion, training and career development. Competitive candidates will be expected to hold a PhD in Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering or related fields at the start of the fellowship. Experience with animal behavior, in vivo imaging, gene editing and/or strong quantitative skills is especially desired.
Applicants should email a CV and a brief note describing their interests to bbs [at] bu [dot] edu. The deadline for applying is Dec 20, 2018. Top candidates will be invited to visit and share their graduate work at the Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University. We look forward to hearing from you!
Starting this fall at Boston University!
The Laboratory of Comparative Cognition will be starting at Boston University on September 1st. Our research space will be located in the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering at 610 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston.