Laboratory of Neural Computation and Cognition
Dr. Michael J. Frank, Director

Brown University

The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.

Robert Forst

The Basal Ganglia

What is it?

Located deep in the brain, the basal ganglia is a collection of small structures including the subthalamic nucleus, the substantia nigra, the internal and external globus pallidus, and the straitum.

Featured as part of our lab logo, the basal ganglia plays a key role in our research. It is the focal point of the dopamine pathways in Parkinson's Disease. It is also associated with a variety of motor control, cognition, emotion and learning functions.