Goldberg

A Cornell researcher studying neural circuits that allow young birds to learn songs has received a prestigious award from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Jesse Goldberg, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior and the Robert R. Capranica Fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a 2014 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. The award, given this year to 22 early career scientists, is intended to help these researchers investigate pressing global health problems. Goldberg received a four-year, $240,000 grant.

“The money will give me the cushion required to do the kind of high-risk/high-reward science that is normally difficult for young investigators to pursue,” said Goldberg. “In our case, we passionately pursue how brain circuits for reward control learning.”

Specifically, Goldberg and colleagues and students in his lab examine how baby birds hone their singing skills by “babbling” in a process of trial-and-error, where they try different sounds and assess whether they have hit the right notes. Further, Goldberg’s lab will use advanced techniques in optogenetics, neurobiology and computational analysis to probe neural circuits in the basal ganglia of the brain that allow young birds to learn to sing and determine the roles of these circuits in vocal production and learning.

“This work will enhance our understanding of trial-and-error learning and could lead to novel treatments of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, which are associated with basal ganglia malfunction,” Goldberg said.

In addition to the monetary award, Pew Scholars annual meetings will provide opportunities to engage with other top researchers, Goldberg said. “Science is truly a social endeavor and, therefore, meetings like this are critical – they often spawn interdisciplinary interactions that open up new research avenues,” he added.

Goldberg received a Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2004 and an M.D. in 2005, both from Columbia University. He joined Cornell’s faculty in 2012.