Center for Neurotechnology and Behavior

My personal journey in neuroscience began with studying electric fish three decades ago as an undergraduate student at Reed College. Today, our laboratory creates biosensors that capture the molecular dialogue between neurons in addiction circuits and provides innovative tools for photo-releasing specific chemical modulators in the brain. This evolution mirrors our field's transformation.

The substantial investment in brain research over the past decade has yielded remarkable tools. Now comes the crucial next phase: implementing these innovations to answer fundamental questions about the healthy and diseased brain. At the Center for Neurotechnology and Behavior at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we excel not only in building tools but applying them to decipher neural mechanisms underlying complex behaviors and disorders.

This implementation phase brings unexpected insights through cross-disciplinary partnerships. Recently, our collaboration with Denise Cai, PhD, produced a two-color miniscope that simultaneously monitors multiple neural populations during behavior. Meanwhile, Peter H. Rudebeck, PhD, and Helen S. Mayberg, MD, are bridging primate and human research, using anatomical tracing techniques to inform clinical circuit interventions for psychiatric conditions.

Our monthly Seminar Series has become an incubator for such collaborations. When specialists in imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular manipulation share perspectives, novel approaches emerge that transcend individual disciplines.

I invite you to explore these collaborative possibilities with us. Whether you are a researcher seeking technical guidance, a clinician interested in translational applications, or a student eager to train across traditional boundaries, the Center provides resources and community to support your work.

Paul Slesinger, PhD
Director, Center for Neurotechnology and Behavior
Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Neuroscience
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai