Project Grant K99NS138578

This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) supports research on the functional modularity of neural representations underlying contextual behaviors. The $252,666 award to The Trustees of Columbia University aims to elucidate how the brain performs contextual behaviors, which are impaired in numerous neurological disorders. The research involves mathematical modeling, artificial neural network studies, and analysis of neural population recordings from non-human primates to determine how modular versus unstructured neural representations emerge and shape the learning of contextual behaviors. This project is expected to provide insights into the functional principles of large-scale modular organization in neural systems and the influence of behavioral history on both existing and novel contextual behaviors.