Dr S. Kennerley

Neurophysiology of decision-making and action selection

Lab Head: Dr Steve Kennerley

The laboratory is devoted to understanding the brain mechanisms which support efficient decision-making and action selection. The principal goal is to better understand the way in which the brain learns and represents the value of different actions, and how dysfunction of this evaluative system might lead to neuropsychiatric disease (e.g. gambling/substance addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder) or deficits in the ability to volitionally act (e.g. Parkinson's Disease).

We use sophisticated behavioural and pharmacological techniques in conjunction with neurophysiological methods to record the electrical activity of individual and populations of neurons in the frontal cortex and basal ganglia. Additionally, we plan to collaborate with the Unit of Functional Neurosurgery during intra-operative surgery for Parkinson's Disease (PD), with the aim of using neurophysiological methods to improve targeting of Deep Brain Stimulation for PD treatment, as well as gaining a better understanding of the pathophysiology in PD.

The lab is currently looking for prospective graduate students and post-docs. Please e-mail s.kennerley{at}ion.ucl.ac.uk if you are interested in joining the lab. Our labs are located in Queen Square House in Queen Square.

Current Lab Members

David Williams, Academic Clinical Lecturer (King's College Hospital)

Current Collaborators

Dr Tim Behrens, University of Oxford

Dr Thomas Foltynie, Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, UCL

Professor Marwan Hariz, Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, UCL

Professor Roger Lemon, Sobell Dept., UCL

Professor Jonathan Wallis, University of California - Berkeley

Dr Mark Walton, University of Oxford

Mr Ludvic Zrinzo, Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, UCL

The UCL Institute of Neurology promotes teaching and research of the highest quality in neurology and the neurosciences. The Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery are members of  UCL Partners, Europe's largest academic health science partnership.