Masmanidis, Sotiris
Titles
Associate Professor, Neurobiology
Member, Brain Research Institute
California NanoSystems Institute
Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology GPB Home Area
Neuroscience GPB Home Area
Contact Information
Biography
Sotiris Masmanidis received an undergraduate degree in Physics from University College London, and a PhD in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology. He was then awarded a Broad Fellowship in Brain Circuitry, and transitioned to neuroscience. In 2012 he joined the faculty in the Department of Neurobiology at UCLA, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019.Research Interests
Neural circuits of reward learning and motor control, addiction, movement disorders
Learning and movement are fundamental functions of the brain, yet many aspects of how these processes are orchestrated by various circuits remain elusive. Our group is addressing several open questions about the neurobiological basis of learning and movement in health and disease. Specific questions include:
1. What are the dynamics of neural microcircuits during reward-conditioned behavior?
2. What role do specific microcircuits play in learning and movement?
3. How do brain disorders perturb neural dynamics and information processing?