Harvard University · BiologyVisual Processing and Substance Use Lab
Carlos Ramon Ponce · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Carlos Ramon Ponce's lab at Harvard Medical School studies how drugs like MDMA and methamphetamine affect the brain's visual and social functions in nonhuman primates. By using advanced techniques in electrophysiology and machine learning, the lab examines the interplay between drug effects, social behavior, and visual processing. Their aim is to uncover mechanisms that could inform future treatments for substance use disorders.
MDMAmethamphetaminevisual processingsocial behaviorelectrophysiologymachine learningdeep neural networks
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the impact of drugs on visual and associative brain regions in macaque monkeys.
AIM 02Determine how social interactions affect drug-taking behavior.
AIM 03Develop machine learning models to analyze neuron activation related to social stimuli.
AIM 04Assess the chronic effects of drugs on neural functions in social contexts.
AIM 05Provide insights that could guide future therapies for substance use disorders.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologydeep learningmachine learningneuroanatomyanimal behavioral tasksdata visualizationmicroelectrode array techniquesstatistical modelingcode development