Dr. David Freedman

Biography

David Freedman is the Chair of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Chicago. He is a distinguished professor in the Neuroscience Institute and has a significant role in the Computational Neuroscience Committee. With a broad background in cognitive, systems, and computational neuroscience, Dr. Freedman specializes in electrophysiological approaches for recording neuronal population activity in awake non-human primates that are trained to perform complex behavioral tasks involving learning, memory, and decision-making. His research primarily focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to explore neuroscience-related questions, particularly through the use of artificial neural networks and the design of novel biologically-inspired AI methods. His investigations are supported by major funding from organizations such as NIH, NSF, and DOD, where he seeks to understand neuronal computations underlying higher-order perceptual and cognitive functions. After completing graduate and postdoctoral training at MIT and Harvard Medical School, he established his laboratory at the University of Chicago in 2008 and has successfully trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences, the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship from the Department of Defense, and the NSF Career Award. He was also honored with the University of Chicago Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring in 2018.

Research Interests