Ryan Williamson, PhD
Assistant Research Professor

Overview

As Founder of the IDEA Core at the NeuroTechnology Center (a department which oversees multiple core facilities), I have collaborated extensively with various systems neuroscience labs on campus. My primary focus has been developing and refining a range of animal behavior tasks, along with the requisite analysis workflows in an effort that has involved numerous large-scale projects. These endeavors often span several months, demanding a substantial portion of my time and effort. As a result, half of my professional time is allocated for independent research interests related to these endeavors. Hence, in my capacity as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, I can delve into an area of keen interest to me: leveraging supervised and unsupervised methods to classify and analyze animal behavior. Many of my recent collaborative projects have sought to elucidate mechanisms of murine cerebellar function. Because of this, I have developed a personal interest in investigating the disease states of the cerebellum, to ultimately identify therapeutics using high-throughput screens currently in development as part of my research strategy. This research direction not only aligns with my long-standing interest in neurotechnology and phenotyping animal behavior but also offers a promising avenue to advance our understanding of how the brain commands thoughts and actions and how these processes are corrupted by disease. My expertise in collaborative project management, coupled with my deep knowledge of neurotechnology, positions me uniquely to lead this innovative research.