Cognitive Neuroscience Research Program

Project Description Narrative:

Cognitive neuroscience is the branch of neuroscience focused on understanding human brain systems' underlying higher cognitive processes such as language, reasoning, decision-making, social behavior, and memory. Breakdown of these functions is a central feature of normal aging and of many common neurological conditions that affect Wisconsin residents, including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson's disease. Cognitive neuroscience attempts to understand these processes, how they break down in pathological states, and how they can be restored using pharmacological, behavioral, and physiological methods.

This project aims to improve the health of Wisconsin citizens by enhancing research on the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders. The proposed program will bring together researchers and clinical providers at the Medical College of Wisconsin who are working on diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, providing powerful state-of-the-art tools and infrastructure support for enabling coordinated research projects.