Fuster is interested in studies of the brain mechanisms of cognitive functions (attention, perception, memory, language, and intelligence). The objective of these studies is to gain better understanding of the dysfunction of the cerebral cortex in neurological and mental illness impairing cognition. Such understanding leads to more effective modes of treatment and rehabilitation. In recent years, Fuster and colleagues have been studying the physiological dynamics of working memory in the cerebral cortex.  The purpose is to clarify the mechanisms by which the cortex stores and retains information in working memory, a cognitive function of prime importance in the coordination of behavior, speech, and reasoning.  For that purpose they have been utilizing the latest and most advanced methods of neuroimaging (NeuroImage, 2005) and neurocomputation (Eur.J.Neurosci, 2005). Fuster's research has wide-ranging implications for elucidating the brain mechanisms of cognition. By gaining better understanding of these mechanisms, we are able to better understand the disorders of cognition at the foundation of many neurological and psychiatric disorders, notably brain stroke, brain trauma, Alzheimer's dementia, and schizophrenia.

Key Research Areas:
Brain stroke, brain trauma, Alzheimer's dementia, and schizophrenia