UBC Math Biology Seminar: Manu Madhav

Abstract: Navigation is the determination of courses – the computation and subsequent action of getting from point A to point B. When the brain navigates, in what space are these points represented? In this talk, I will present our current understanding of the cognitive map – the so-called ‘GPS of the brain’ – and point to recent research that indicates that this representation of space, time and memory may be embedded in a flexible coordinate system that is shaped by experience and adapts to task demands. My lab will use techniques from virtual reality, high-density electrophysiology, control theory, reinforcement learning and robotics to investigate the role of flexible cognitive representations in shaping navigational decisions. By comparing navigation between rats, humans and robots, we seek to develop assays of cognitive flexibility that may help detection and management of neurodegenerative dementias.