Brown University · NeuroscienceNassar Flexibility Lab
Matthew Nassar · Providence, Rhode Island
Research Focus
Dr. Matthew Nassar's lab at Brown University investigates how the brain helps people adjust their behavior in response to changes in their environment. Specifically, the lab examines how arousal, mainly influenced by a system in the brain called locus coeruleus norepinephrine (LC/NE), affects behavioral flexibility. This research has important implications for understanding and treating psychiatric disorders where individuals struggle to adapt to new or stressful situations. By using advanced techniques like fMRI and computational modeling, the lab aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms that drive these behaviors in different individuals.
behavioral flexibilitynorepinephrinearousalcomputational neuroscienceindividual differencesfMRImental healthlearningpsychiatric disordersneural representations
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how transient fluctuations in arousal change behavior in response to environmental cues.
AIM 02Characterize the differences in neural representations across individuals when faced with complex tasks.
AIM 03Examine the role of norepinephrine in driving behavioral adjustments in dynamic settings.
AIM 04Develop a computational model that predicts how arousal affects behavior based on individual experiences.
AIM 05Conduct large-scale validation studies to explore the relevance of these predictions to mental health.
Skills the Lab Values
fMRIbehavioral experimentscomputational modelingdata analysispsychological assessmentsexperimental designprogramming in Pythonneuroimaging analysisstatistical modeling
Output against the department
Publications119bottom 42% of dept.391st of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.8kbottom 35% of dept.433rd 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.