Nitzan Censor Laboratory

Novel pathways for human brain plasticity

Our research provides a detailed look at the core intersection of human brain and behavior, utilizing a multimodal approach combining behavioral psychophysics, non-invasive brain stimulation, virtual reality, and neuroimaging. This approach enables us to establish a cause-and-effect link between changes in human behavior and their underlying brain mechanisms.

Specifically, we have been leveraging mechanisms identified at the synaptic-level showing that brief reactivations of existing memories open discrete time windows for plasticity – and apply them to induce human brain plasticity at the systems-level and impact behavior: enhancing visual perception and motor action, or downregulating negative memories.

As such, our findings carry significant implications for daily life function in health and disease, contributing to the development of strategies geared to enhance performance and memory when beneficial, and downregulate maladaptive consequences of negative memories.