Daphna Shohamy
Kavli Professor of Brain Science, Professor of Psychology

My Contact Info

415 Schermerhorn

Lab Site

The Learning Lab

Office Hours

By?e-mail appointment



212 854 7560
[email protected]

Download Curriculum Vitae

Daphna Shohamy

Research Interests

Cognitive Neuroscience
Learning & Memory
Judgment & Decision-making


Ph.D., Rutgers University, 2003

General Area of Research

The cognitive neuroscience of learning, memory and decision making

Current Research

My research is focused on the intersection between learning, memory and decision making. How are decisions shaped by past experience? When are decisions guided by explicit knowledge, and when by implicitly learned associations or biases? Are explicit and implicit memories supported by independent cognitive and neural systems (as popular view suggests)? Or, is there some form of cross-talk between them? If so, do the underlying systems cooperate or compete?
To answer these questions, I adopt an integrative approach that draws broadly on neuroscience to make predictions about cognition. Predictions are tested in behavioral and neuroimaging studies in healthy individuals, and in patients with isolated damage to specific brain systems. Neuroimaging studies tell us about the spatial and temporal characteristics of neural mechanisms involved in cognition. Neuropsychological studies augment this approach and provide direct evidence of the necessity of a brain region for specific cognitive processes. Converging evidence from these complementary approaches produces a fuller picture of the cognitive and neural processes involved, and necessary, for different aspects of behavior.

Relevant Publications

Shohamy,?D., Myers, Kalanithi, J., & Gluck, M.A. 2007. Basal ganglia and dopamine contributions to probabilistic category learning.?Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. In Press.
Shohamy,?D., Myers, C.E., Geghman, K.D , Sage, J. & Gluck, M.A. 2006. L-Dopa impairs learning, but spares generalization, in Parkinson’s disease.?Neuropsychologia, 44:774-84.
Preston, A.R., Shohamy,?D., Tamminga, C.A., & Wagner, A.D. 2005. Hippocampal function, declarative memory, and schizophrenia: anatomic and functional neuroimaging considerations.?Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 5(4):249-56.
Shohamy, D., Myers, C.E., Grossman, S , Sage, J. & Gluck, M.A. 2005. The role of dopamine in cognitive sequence learning: Evidence from Parkinson's disease.?Behavioral Brain Research,156:191-9.
Shohamy, D., Myers, C.E., Onlaor, S Grossman, S , Sage, J.,?Gluck, M.A. & Poldrack, R.A. 2004. Cortico-striatal contributions to feedback-based learning: Converging data from neuroimaging and neuropsychology.?Brain,?127:851-859.
Shohamy, D., Myers, C.E., Onlaor, S., & Gluck, M.A. 2004. The role of the basal ganglia in?category learning: How do patients with Parkinson’s disease learn??Behavioral Neuroscience, 118(4):676-686.
Aron, A.R, Shohamy, D, Clark, J, Myers, C, Gluck, M.A & Poldrack, R.A. 2004. Cognitive feedback during learning activates the brain’s “reward” system.?Journal of Neurophysiology, 92(2):1144-1152.
Myers, C.E., Shohamy, D., Gluck, M.A., Grossman, S., Kluger,. A., Ferris, S. 2003. Dissociating hippocampal vs. basal ganglia contributions to memory using a two-phase test of learning and transfer.?Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15(2), 185-193.
Poldrack, R.A., Clark, J., Pare-Blagoev, E.J., Shohamy, D., Creso-Moyano, J., Myers, C. & Gluck, M.A. 2001. Interactive memory systems in the human brain.?Nature,?414, 546-550.?

Courses Taught

Spring 2017

Learning and the Brain (Seminar)

4 pts, GU4430


Fall 2016

Cognitive Neuroscience and the Media (Seminar)

4 pts, GU4460


Fall 2016

Supervised Individual Research

0 pts, UN3950

Selected Publications

Basal ganglia and dopamine contributions to probabilistic category learning.

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L-Dopa impairs learning, but spares generalization, in Parkinson’s disease.

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Hippocampal function, declarative memory, and schizophrenia: anatomic and functional neuroimaging considerations.

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The role of dopamine in cognitive sequence learning: Evidence from Parkinson's disease.

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Cortico-striatal contributions to feedback-based learning: Converging data from neuroimaging and neuropsychology.

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The role of the basal ganglia in category learning: How do patients with Parkinson’s disease learn?

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Dissociating Hippocampal versus Basal Ganglia Contributions to Learning and Transfer

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Interactive memory systems in the human brain.

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