Cognitive & Behavioural
There are a number of groups working on the neural and neurochemical basis of cognitive and emotional behaviour in humans and other species, including studies of stress, anxiety, depression, and language. This includes the examination of morphological deficits and genetic polymorphisms. The neural systems involved in drug seeking, the reward system and reinforcement are also an important focus of research, as are the mechanisms of decision making. These areas, together with studies into the neural basis of learning, memory and perception, are the subject of techniques ranging from neuroimaging to computational modelling. The MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit provide important channels for cross-disciplinary interactions in this area.