ABOUT CLM — Level 2
director's message (this is not final)
There is a broad consensus, at the Institute and elsewhere, that the next great frontier in
science will be the neurosciences. Technological and conceptual advances in cell and
chemical biology, molecular biology, genetics and genomics, computer science, artificial
intelligence and engineering, physics and biophysics, and cognitive sciences have given
us the tools and paradigms to unravel brain function from genes to behavior.
Likewise, there is a pervasive optimism that it is within our grasp to understand, and
ultimately to develop rational therapies not only for the neurodegenerative diseases (e.g.,
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease) but also for the more complex disorders (e.g.,
schizophrenia, major depression, autism) that carry the archaic term “mental illness.”
MIT is poised to be a major player in defining and pursuing these emerging opportunities
to understand brain function, and has set an aggressive agenda in support of the goals that
will benefit science and society. Towards this end, MIT established the Center for
Learning and Memory (CLM) in 1994 initially with a grant from the Sherman Fairchild
Foundation and, more recently, with the support of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute.
Since then, CLM has grown to nine full time faculty, and MIT has committed to
constructing a new state-of-the-art building to house CLM with space for at least thirteen
faculty, research and support staff, and graduate and undergraduate students.
CLM’s primary mission is to spearhead MIT’s new initiative for neuroscience by
building a world-class research and education center in this field. Since learning and
memory is central to human behavior, CLM’s research will focus on understanding the
mechanisms underlying these cognitive functions at the molecular, cellular, and brain
circuit level. The target of CLM’s research will extend to other higher order cognitive
phenomena intimately associated with learning and memory, such as attention, decisionmaking, and consciousness. The development of the brain in early life crucially depends
on interactions between the brain’s innate genetic program and stimuli from the
environment. Common neural principles and mechanisms are likely to be involved
during development (“critical period”), and in learning and memory. Therefore, CLM’s
research includes understanding how a child’s brain develops, and how the environment
affects it. We will study not only how all these brain mechanisms operate in normal
subjects but also how they go astray under disease conditions.
Cognition and behavior of higher mammals, including humans, is based on
complex brain functions. The human brain, which contains a gigantic network of 100
billion specialized cells (neurons), is intricately organized into multiple layers of
complexity: molecular and genetic levels, the levels of individual neurons and neuronal
connections (synapses), the levels of local and global neuronal circuitries, and the level of
anatomical subregions. Cognition and behavior have traditionally been the subjects of
psychology, which primarily relies on the observations of human subjects or
experimental animals. For studies of the highest level of complexity, non-invasive
imaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and
positron emission tomography (PET) have recently permitted scientists to “map” brain
areas involved in a specific cognition or behavior. At the most basic level of complexity,
the advent of molecular biology and genomics has rapidly advanced our knowledge of
molecular components of the brain and their interactions. Sophisticated
electrophysiological techniques are allowing scientists to characterize detailed properties
of ion channels, and neurotransmitter receptors, which play crucial roles in the
transmission of neuronal signals along the nerve processes and at synapses. At the
intermediate level of complexity, old anatomical and new imaging techniques are laying
down the details of neuronal circuitries. Individually, however, none of these
methodologies and their technologies, each directed to the analysis at a particular layer or
level of complexity, is sufficient to achieve a complete understanding of the mechanisms
underlying learning, memory. To reach this goal we must integrate the information
obtained from all of these sources and identify causal relationships of events occurring at
different levels of complexity.
CLM’s vision is to promote integral brain research by assembling highly talented
and independent investigators who share CLM’s intellectual mission and each of whom
possesses one or more state-of-the-art technologies in areas that encompass molecular
neurobiology and systems neuroscience, and by providing them top world class research
and education resources and facilities. Such an arrangement encourages synergistic
interactions of scientists with different expertise and greatly helps them, as a whole, to
come up with comprehensive solutions. During the past several years, the effectiveness
of this strategy has already been amply demonstrated by the spectacular success of the
relatively young CLM faculty.
CLM’s research programs will not only advance our fundamental knowledge of
the mind and brain, but will also have a significant impact on society and medicine.
Insights gained from CLM’s research will help us to understand neurodegenerative
diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s disease), and the more complex psychiatric
disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, major depression, autism) and to develop rational therapies
for these diseases. Recent studies suggest that the process of drug addiction involves
brain mechanisms similar to those of learning and memory. Therefore, some of CLM’s
research programs are also relevant for our understanding and treatment of this most
difficult medical and social problem. In addition, we will understand the basis for critical
periods in human brain development: to acquire proper vision, to learn to speak, read, or
play a musical instrument. This knowledge will be applicable to better treatments for
learning disabilities in children or adults who have suffered brain injuries due to stroke or
trauma. Finally, to go beyond today’s digital computers, we need to understand parallel
processing, error controls, and complex feed-back mechanisms, which allow the human
brain to recognize a single human face out of a group portrait much faster than any of
today’s computers.
pclm administration
office of the director
Building E17, Room 353
Fax #617-258-6893
Professor Susumu Tonegawa
Director
617-253-6459
tonegawa@mit.edu
Emily T. Rossie
Assistant to the Director
617-253-6461
etrossie@mit.edu
Professor Earl K. Miller
Associate Director
Building E25, Room 236B
617-252-1584
ekm@ai.mit.edu
PCLM headquarters
Building E18, Room 266
Fax #617-452-2588
Donna Maria Ticchi
Assistant Director for Administration
617-452-3342
tiki@mit.edu
Cynthia L. Henshall
Administrative Assistant
617-452-2485
cynthiah@mit.edu
Christine M. Malnati
Fiscal Officer
617-452-2131
cmmalnat@mit.edu
Diane A. Reid
Financial Assistant
617-258-0759
dreid@mit.edu
Yuki Koyama
RIKEN Program Administrator
617-253-4955
ykoyama@mit.edu
Kelly A. Murray
Administrative Assistant for Personnel
617-452-2242
kmurray@mit.edu
Edward M. Harvie
Senior Staff Assistant
617-452-4864
tedward@mit.edu
headquarters services
PCLM Headquarters provides comprehensive, centralized services in all areas of research
administration for our faculty, staff and students. These include administrative,
personnel, financial, operations, and safety. Our Headquarters staff is always here to
help, and you will find positive attitudes, a well-trained staff, and a team-work based
approach toward problem-solving. PCLM Headquarters is located in Building E18, room
266.
PCLM directory
(This format is complicated to program)
The following is an alphabetical listing of all faculty, staff and students with active
appointments in the Picower Center for Learning and Memory at MIT.
name
lab
address
phone
e-mail
Elaine Aidonidis
Sheng
E18-215
452-3691
elainea@mit.edu
Wael Assad
Miller
E25-236
252-1469
wfassad@mit.edu
Candace Carr
Tonegawa
E17-357
258-9410
candyc@mit.edu
Ann Graybiel
Graybiel
E25-618B
253-5785
graybiel@mit.edu
Cynthia Henshall
PCLM Admin E18-266
452-2485
cynthiah@mit.edu
Matthew Jones
Wilson
E18-366
452-1841
mwjones@mit.edu
Earl Miller
Miller
E25-236
252-1584
ekm@ai.mit.edu
Mriganka Sur
Sur
E25-235
253-8784
msur@ai.mit.edu
Donna Ticchi
PCLM HQ
E18-266
452-3342
tiki@mit.edu
Susumu Tonegawa
Tonegawa
E17-353
253-6459
tonegawa@mit.edu
job opportunities in PCLM
The Picower Center for Learning and Memory currently has the following job
opportunities available.
Technical Assistant (#1234567)
Miller Lab
Postdoctoral Associate (#246819)
Miller Lab
Senior Staff Assistant (#891011)
Wilson Lab
Visit MIT’s Office of Human Resources at http://web.mit.edu/personnel/www/
MIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and encourages applications
from minorities and women.
http://web.mit.edu/personnel/www/policy/1-2.html
PCLM headquarters
Building E18, Room 266
Fax #617-452-2588
Edward Harvie
Senior Staff Assistant
617tedward@mit.edu
Cynthia L. Henshall
Administrative Assistant
617-452-2485
cynthiah@mit.edu
Yuki Koyama
RIKEN Program Administrator
617-253-4955
Christine M. Malnati
Fiscal Officer
617-452-2131
cmmalnat@mit.edu
Kelly Murray
Administrative Assistant - Personnel
617kmurray@mit.edu
Diane Reid
Financial Assistant
617-258-0759