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Brielle Ferguson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the basic cognitive processes involved in navigating the world and how impairments in attention are linked to various cognitive co-morbidities seen in neurodevelopmental, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. During her postdoctoral work, she developed attention tasks to capture behavioral differences across multiple genetic models relevant to these disorders. Her lab aims to identify and characterize biomarkers of both successful and dysfunctional cognitive function by monitoring and manipulating relevant neural circuits using techniques like calcium imaging, optogenetics, pharmacogenetics, and slice vivo electrophysiology. A particular area of interest for Ferguson is the role of interneurons in regulating neuronal ensembles that are critical for completing cognitive tasks. Through her research, she seeks to identify therapeutic targets for treating patients with treatment-resistant cognitive impairments associated with disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
Administered by the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS). GRE is not required and will not be considered for BBS, Immunology, and Neuroscience.