Daniela is a PhD student in the Neurobiology & Behavior Program at Columbia. She is interested in better understanding the principles of learning processes, how they elicit adaptive and maladaptive behavior, and the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms supporting them. Her research aims to characterize the dynamics of multiple brain systems involved in learning and memory and their role in goal-directed behavior. Currently, her research focuses on characterizing neural mechanisms involved in discrimination learning and rule reversal using fMRI in awake and behaving mice in a novel experimental platform that includes a precise odor delivery system and high-resolution behavioral monitoring. In her free time, Daniela enjoys reading, hiking, and scuba diving and is a sucker for Mediterranean sunsets.
Graduate Student