Learning in a complex and high-dimensional environment

A major challenge that makes learning difficult is that the world is complex and high dimensional: there are often multiple possible stimuli or actions to attribute to an outcome, and a gap in time between an event and its consequences. We bring new perspectives and technologies to address major unresolved questions in the field of learning and credit assignment, with the goal of understanding how learning and decision-making algorithms map onto brain circuitry. We are also interested in the ramifications of learning in a complex and high dimensional environment on the emergence of individual differences, including the origin of stress-induced maladaptive states.