• Rafiq Huda
  • Rafiq Huda
  • Assistant Professor
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  • Phone: 848-445-6574
  • Fax: (732) 445-1794
  • Office: Nelson Labs D251
  • Address: 604 Allison Rd.
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  • Biography:

    B.A, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

    Ph.D., Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

    Postdoctoral training: Mriganka Sur, advisor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Awards

    2004      Posse Foundation Scholarship (2004 – 2008)

    2012      NIH NRSA F31 Predoctoral Fellowship (2012 – 2013)

    2014      NIH NRSA F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014 – 2017)

    2017      NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (2017 – 2022)

  • Research Group: Neuroscience
  • Research Interests:

    Neural circuits for adaptive decisions and their dysfunction in alcohol use disorders

  • News Articles:
  • CBN Welcomes New Assistant Professor Dr. Rafiq Huda
  • Current Research:

    We make hundreds of decisions every day, from small ones like which dish to select from a restaurant menu to complex ones that fundamentally change our lives. A common feature of many decisions is our ability to integrate and weigh the positive and negative outcomes of our choices to guide future behavior. Over human history, this question has been approached from multiple perspectives, including philosophy and economics. Our laboratory takes a systems neuroscience approach to ask:


    1) How does the brain learn about outcomes to adaptively guide decision making behavior?
    2) Are distinct brain regions and neuron types specialized for specific decision making functions?
    3) How does dysfunction of neural circuits underlying adaptive decision making gives rise to substance use disorders?


    We use a portfolio of world-class optical techniques, combined with computational methods, quantitative mouse behavior, and anatomy, to study molecularly- and anatomically-defined cortical, striatal, and midbrain circuits. In addition to determining the function of these circuits in adaptive decision making, we aim to identify general principles for information flow and computation in long-range brain circuits.

  • PubMed Publications:

    For CBN's main publication search, click here.

  • Recruiting New Research Assistants: 2021-2022
  • Research Summary:

    Neural circuits for decision making and their dysfunction in alcohol use disorders

  • How to Apply:

    Email. REU Program (ex.) RISE, Aresty, NeuroSURP

  • Semesters Accepting Students:

    Fall: Yes
    Spring: Yes
    Summer: Yes

  • Research Preferences:

    Rising sophomores interested in graduate school, 3.5+ GPA, honors, willingness to work with mice, be able to commit 12-15hr/week during academic year and 40/week during summer.