Vanderbilt University · PsychologyWomelsdorf Cognition Lab
Thilo Womelsdorf · Nashville, Tennessee
Research Focus
Dr. Thilo Womelsdorf's lab at Vanderbilt University studies how certain drugs can improve cognitive abilities and motivation. They specifically focus on a new type of drug designed to work with receptors in the brain that influence behavior and thought processes, particularly concerning conditions like schizophrenia. The research involves both behavioral tests on primates and measurements of brain chemistry to understand how these drugs can help enhance mental functions without unpleasant side effects.
cognitive enhancementmuscarinic receptorsschizophreniabehavioral regulationneurochemistry
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how muscarinic modulation affects cognitive functions in nonhuman primates.
AIM 02Benchmark the efficacy of muscarinic M1 positive allosteric modulators against existing antipsychotics.
AIM 03Explore neurochemical changes associated with cognitive enhancement in the prefrontal cortex and striatum.
AIM 04Determine the specific brain areas impacted by M1 PAMs during cognitive tasks.
AIM 05Evaluate how these drugs can potentially mitigate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologybehavioral assaysmicrodialysisdrug dosage evaluationdata analysis using neurochemical metricscognitive task designanimal handling in researchdata collection from primate behaviorbiostatistics
Output against the department
Publications158top 48% of dept.142nd of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations14ktop 18% of dept.52nd of 296
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.