Thomas Preuss

Dr. Preuss’ current research focuses on behavioral and neurophysiological aspects of sensorimotor integration and decision-making in the startle–escape system of fish. Current projects include: (i) elucidating the mechanisms that underlie the sensory filtering phenomenon prepulse inhibition (PPI). Significance: PPI serves as an important research tool for a number of information processing disorders, notably schizophrenia. (ii) Understanding how social experience and social stress affects behaviors and neural circuits. Significance: how social life affects brain function at all levels of biological organization is fundamental for tackling the causes and consequences of affective disorders. (iii). Dendritic integration of sensory information at the level of individual neurons: Significance: establishing a vertebrate model system of behavioral choice in which we can elucidate key aspects of the decision-making process in the CNS. Dr. Preuss is a review editor for Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience and an elected member of the Society for Neuroscience and the International Society for Neuroethology.