William Wright

• Year

  2022

• Program

  AI in Sci

• Institution

  UC San Diego

• Field of Study

  Biological and agricultural sciences

William (Jake) Wright earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh where he studied the synaptic mechanisms underlying drug-associated memories in addiction. His graduate work provided evidence that the natural dynamics of a memory can be governed by the functional state of a select population of synaptic connections in the brain. Following his graduate studies, Wright moved to UC San Diego to work in the lab of Takaki Komiyama to continue his goal in trying to understand how the brain learns. At UC San Diego, Wright is utilizing cutting-edge imaging methods and optical tools to investigate how dynamic activity patterns drive the modification of synaptic connections over the course of learning to reorganize brain function and ultimately underlie behavioral adaptation.