University of California-Los Angeles · NeuroscienceMasmanidis Reinforcement Lab
Sotiris Masmanidis · Los Angeles, California
Research Focus
Dr. Sotiris Masmanidis' lab at UCLA focuses on understanding how the brain's timing mechanisms are intertwined with the reward learning process, specifically through the study of dopamine neurons in the midbrain. The lab employs a combination of experimental techniques and computational modeling to investigate how these neural circuits learn to predict when rewards are expected, which is important for behaviors like learning and decision-making. This research could shed light on fundamental processes that, when disrupted, can lead to issues like addiction.
dopaminereinforcement learningtiming mechanismsneural circuitsreward prediction
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how dopamine dynamics change during learning to improve timing precision.
AIM 02Assess the effect of manipulating dopamine activity on temporal coding in the striatum.
AIM 03Develop a computational framework to model reinforcement learning and timing based on experimental data.
Skills the Lab Values
animal behavior analysisdopamine measurement techniquesclassical conditioning experimentscomputational modelingdata analysis in neuroscience
Output against the department
Publications82bottom 24% of dept.509th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.3kbottom 32% of dept.454th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.