Vanderbilt University · Biomedical EngineeringThe Memory Enhancement Lab
Christos Constantinidis · Nashville, Tennessee
Research Focus
Dr. Christos Constantinidis' lab studies the brain mechanisms that support visual working memory and how these functions can be improved in cases of mental illness or neurological conditions. The research primarily involves training monkeys on cognitive tasks while recording brain activity to understand how visual information is maintained and processed. By exploring the effects of stimulation of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert on neural function, the lab aims to develop better treatments for cognitive impairments related to aging, injury, or mental health disorders.
visual working memoryneural mechanismsprefrontal cortexcholinergic stimulationcognitive trainingneurophysiologymonkey modelsbrain stimulationcognitive impairment
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the neural mechanisms supporting visual working memory maintenance.
AIM 02Analyze changes in prefrontal cortex activity during cognitive task training.
AIM 03Evaluate the effects of Nucleus Basalis stimulation on working memory performance.
AIM 04Explore the relationship between cholinergic function and cognitive task execution.
AIM 05Develop a primate model for assessing interventions to improve cognitive function.
Skills the Lab Values
neurophysiological recordingsmicroelectrode implantationanimal trainingbehavioral testingdata analysisstimulus manipulationelectrophysiologytask performance assessmentcircuit mapping
Output against the department
Publications195bottom 46% of dept.321st of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.5ktop 37% of dept.218th of 595
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.