Karen Safaryan, Ph.D., is a Project Scientist in the Department of Neurology at UCLA. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, where he studied pattern recognition in large-scale network models of the cerebellar cortex. He then completed his postdoctoral research in UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, studying hippocampal neural dynamics in virtual reality navigation.
Dr. Safaryan’s research explores the local and extended brain network mechanisms underlying adaptive decision-making and cognitive flexibility in dynamic environments. Using large-scale neural recording techniques (Neuropixels probes) in rodents, his current work aims to discover how the brain infers ambiguous external and latent internal task variables.
Through neural recordings and optogenetic manipulation of the visual cortex (V1) and prefrontal areas (ACC, M2), he seeks to identify neural activity patterns linked to context-dependent processing of audio-visual stimuli, alternative choices, and outcome evaluations across different stages of serial task shifts.
His work could provide key insights into brain networks function, laying the foundation for personalized neuromodulatory therapies and advancements in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques.