Nervous System and Brain Disorders

Dr. Ran Darshan

Shaping cognitive behaviors

Dr. Darshan is a theoretical neuroscientist, employing computer simulations and the use of mathematical tools to unravel how our brain works. His research draws from the realms of statistical physics, theory of nonlinear dynamics and machine learning, as he constructs and studies mathematical models of neural circuits and develops innovative tools for analyzing neural data. His primary goal is to understand how cognitive abilities emerge from the collective activity of neurons at the network level, and how such activity evolves during the process of learning. Spanning a wide range of neuroscience domains, his work delves into topics including learning, memory, motor preparation, and decisionmaking processes within the brain. His lab will work closely with experimentalists, forging a collaborative effort to reveal the mechanisms underlying these cognitive brain processes.

Dr. Darshan is a member of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, as well as affiliated with the School of Physics and Astronomy of the Faculty of Exact Sciences. Darshan holds a BSc in Physics and Biology from the Hebrew University, where he participated in the ‘Amirim’ special honors program for Exact Sciences and the ‘Etgar’ honors program for Life Sciences. He pursued a PhD in theoretical and computational neuroscience at the Hebrew University, focusing on developing theories of learning and dynamics of neural networks. Following the completion of his doctorate, Dr. Darshan established his own theoretical lab as a fellow researcher at Janelia Research Campus, HHMI.