Learning in the Human Brain: Anatomy, Physiology and Computation

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The project will focus on structure and information flow in two well-defined systems.First, we consider a hierarchically organised system in the human brain that extendsfrom prefrontal areas that represent action goals, to the cortical motor areas thatorganise the details of movement execution. Second, we consider how cerebellarcircuitry learns from this system, storing representations that enable this informationprocessing to become skilled, unconscious and automatic (c.f., amortization inmachine learning). These two systems form the cortico-cerebellar system - one of thelargest and most prominent networks in the human brain. There will be three closelyintegrated approaches. First, the detailed structure of these systems will beinvestigated through the analysis of large, pre-existing resting-state functional MRIdatasets. Second, experimental work using functional MRI will test hypotheses relatingto the hierarchical nature of frontal lobe action networks, and test for cerebellarsignatures of learning-related plasticity. These approaches will be primarily supervisedby Ramnani. Third, theoretical neurobiological approaches to understandinginformation flow in hierarchical networks and learning-related plasticity will bedeveloped using computational modelling, informed by the active inference frameworkdeveloped by Friston, who will supervise this aspect. We will tailor the PhD to theinterests and skills of the student. The flexible balance of experimental work, dataanalysis, and computational modelling will ensure that the PhD will remain feasibleduring possible future periods of lockdown when data acquisition may not be possible.The student will be based at Royal Holloway, where they will interact with members ofRamnani's research group. There will be periodic visits to Friston and his researchgroup at Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL. Research facilities (RoyalHolloway) will include an on-site, research-dedicated Siemens Trio MRI scanner, a fullysupported,high-performance computing cluster, and Ramnani's lab facilities forbehavioural research.