Dynamics of Cognition Lab
Welcome to the Dynamics of Cognition Lab
The overarching goal of the Fiebelkorn lab’s research is to understand how the brain flexibly allocates its limited processing resources to improve behavioral outcomes. Addressing this goal requires observing neural dynamics on multiple scales—at the levels of single neurons, local neural populations, and large-scale networks.
Research questions. How does the brain navigate our complex environments? In a busy street scene, for example, the brain relies on filtering mechanisms. Two primary functions interact to make this filtering possible: (1) spatial attention (enhanced or suppressed sensory processing) and saccades (exploratory shifts of gaze). A shared network of brain regions, known as the “attention network,” directs both. But how?
Key findings and new investigations. We recently demonstrated that these sensory and motor functions alternate over time (approximately every 250 ms). We continue to investigate the temporal dynamics of attention-related functions. This work covers the balance not only between sensory and motor functions, but also between enhancement (of behaviorally relevant information) and suppression (of distracting information). We are further investigating whether such temporal or rhythmic coordination is a more general mechanism in the brain for resolving potential functional conflicts, maintaining cognitive and representation flexibility.
Applications. We hope that our research will provide a new lens through which to investigate and treat brain disorders marked by abnormalities in cognitive flexibility, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Ian C. Fiebelkorn, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Publications
View All Publications- Human attention-guided visual perception is governed by rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic timescales.; PLoS biology; Vol 23(6), pp. e3003232. 2025 Jun 27.
- Differential neural mechanisms underlie cortical gating of visual spatial attention mediated by alpha-band oscillations.; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Vol 121(45), pp. e2313304121. 2024 Oct 29.
- Separate Cue- and Alpha-Related Mechanisms for Distractor Suppression.; The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience; Vol 44(25). 2024 Jun 19.
- Rhythmic temporal coordination of neural activity prevents representational conflict during working memory.; Current biology : CB. 2023 Apr 17.
News
Affiliations
October 31, 2024
How to Increase Attention Span
April 24, 2023
Ian Fiebelkorn finds rhythmic brain activity helps to maintain temporary memories
May 25, 2022
Dr. Fiebelkorn named a Searle Scholar for 2022
June 3, 2020
Why you can't fight distraction
Contact Us
Fiebelkorn Lab
601 Elmwood Ave
5.6419
Rochester, NY 14642