Dr. Randolph Helfrich

Biography

Randolph Helfrich is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology with a research focus on understanding the circuit and network mechanisms that underlie higher cognitive functions using a multimodal cognitive neurophysiology approach. His research investigates key functions such as limited goal-directed attention and cognitive control, as well as the critical role of sleep in facilitating learning and memory. He studies neurophysiological markers that bridge cellular mechanisms, excitability, synaptic plasticity, and whole-brain network dynamics that govern goal-directed human behavior. His approach combines intracranial human electrophysiology (including iEEG, ECoG, and sEEG single unit recordings) with non-invasive imaging techniques (such as EEG, MEG/OPM, and polysomnography) and brain stimulation. Additionally, he leverages unique dual training in neurology and neuroscience to investigate specific patient cohorts with well-characterized pathologies, enabling the assessment of causal contributions to cognitive processing. With a range of analytical tools at his disposal, including timeseries analyses and machine learning approaches, he aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underlie cognitive processing.

Research Interests