Dr. Matthew Gardner

Biography

Matthew Gardner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University. His research focuses on the brain's ability to make detailed predictions about the world, which guide appropriate behavior and decision-making. Specifically, he is interested in sensory and cognitive systems that generate predictions about future events, a critical component of action, decision-making, and memory. His principal approach involves using electrophysiology and optogenetic manipulations on rats performing carefully designed behavioral tasks. Through computational modeling, he aims to understand learning behavior, revealing general principles of how predictive information regarding probable future events is utilized to guide behavior, especially in the context of mechanisms disrupted by disease states, including eating disorders and addiction. Gardner has published multiple articles in prestigious journals, contributing significantly to the field of neuroscience, particularly in understanding how the brain processes information relevant to decision-making and reward-related learning.

Research Interests