Prof. Michael Goldberg from Columbia University visited the Institute of Biophysics and delivered a BEI Shizhang lecture on May 9th, 2018,invited by Prof. Yan Yang. The lecture is entitled "Cognitive Processing in the Monkey Cerebellum."

Prof. Michael Goldberg is David Mahoney Professor of Brain and Behavior, in the Departments of Neuroscience, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Ophthalmology, Columbia University. He is the current chair of the Committee on Animal Research, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), past president of SfN, member of FENS Committee on Animal Research, member of American National Academy of Science, and member of American Neurological Association, American Academy of Neurology.

Cerebellum has been considered to be primarily involved in the modulation of motor control and sensation for a long time, but in the recent few years the role in cognitive processing of the cerebellum has gained more and more attention. In his lecture, Prof. Michael Goldberg introduced his recent discovery about cognitive processing in the monkey cerebellum. The Goldberg team have been studying Purkinje cell responses in the lateral hemisphere of cerebellum in awake-behaving monkeys. Monkeys has been required to assign different visual symbols to well-learned movements of both hands. Electrophysiological recordingshave revealed that firing rates of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were specifically modulated by the success or failure of the prior behavior task, i.e., whether or not the visual symbol matched the manual behavior. By setting a series of controls, the effect of sensory and motor factors has been eliminated, including visual stimulation patterns, manual speed or trajectory, reaction times, and rewards. Furthermore, it has been found that a Purkinje cell could and only reported the success or failure of the previous one-time experience during a particular epoch.

Prof. Michael Goldberg's presentation demonstrated a wonderful example of non-human primate cerebellar cognitive function research for participants. Researchers and studentsdiscussed hotly with Prof. Michael Goldbergduring the lecture.

Scene of BEI Shizhang lecture

Prof. Michael Goldberg was giving the lecture

Prof. Michael Goldberg and Prof. Yan Yang

Prof. Michael Goldberg was talking with students