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David Tank is the Henry L. Hillman Professor of Neuroscience and the Scientific Director at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. His research focuses on measuring and analyzing neural circuit dynamics, particularly during action potentials, which are the universal form of electrochemical dynamics within single neurons. His work investigates how thousands of ion channel protein molecules interact during these action potentials, aiming to describe these currents using Hodgkin/Huxley equations. Tank's lab addresses key questions regarding persistent neural activity such as its role in short-term memory and its correlation with action potential firing in various neural circuits across species. His studies utilize advanced techniques in electrophysiology, imaging, and genetic manipulation to explore the mechanisms of persistent neural activity, offering insights into both mammalian and non-mammalian brain dynamics. Tank's future research objectives include investigating the oculomotor neural integrator in goldfish and exploring genetic dissection in persistent neural activity within mouse head direction circuits, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of memory within neural systems.
GRE scores are not accepted. Ph.D. is the primary degree; students are not required to hold an M.S.E. prior to admission.