Neuronal mechanisms underlying value-based decision-making and action selection

Dr Kennerley will use his award to investigate the neuronal mechanisms supporting optimal learning, decision-making and action selection. He uses sophisticated techniques to record the electrical activity of individual and populations of neurons in the frontal cortex and basal ganglia. His goal is to better understand how the brain evaluates the potential costs and benefits of a decision, and how dysfunction of this evaluative system might lead to neuropsychiatric diseases associated with impaired decision-making.