Dr. Arseny Finkelstein

Principal Investigator, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Arseny Finkelstein is an Assistant Professor (senior lecturer) in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University. Dr. Finkelstein’s journey into brain research started during his MSc (Weizmann Institute of Science), when he worked on developing immune-based therapies for stroke and other neurodegenerative disorders. For his PhD (Weizmann Institute of Science), Dr. Finkelstein switched to study brain function under normal physiological conditions, focusing on naturalistic behavior and neural mechanisms of navigation in bats. During his Postdoctoral training (Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, USA) he studied brain circuits involved in working memory and decision-making, and developed novel optical methods for manipulation of neural activity in the brain.

The neural basis of cognition

We study how cognitive abilities emerge from interactions between neurons. Our lab is especially interested in understanding how the collective activity of neurons in brain networks gives rise to cognitive phenomena, such as the ability to make decisions and form new memories. We study these questions in mice engaged in cognitively complex behaviors involving decision-making, navigation, and the use of short-term memory.

 
We employ cutting edge electrophysiological, imaging, and optogenetic techniques that enable turning ON and OFF specific neurons, in combination with advanced computational methods for modeling and analysis of neural dynamics. This allows us not only to ‘read’ the mind by recording neural activity during behavior, but also to manipulate cognitive processes by ‘writing’ information directly into the brain to influence decisions and create artificial memories.
 
In addition to studying neural interactions in the healthy brain, our lab is interested in reorganization of brain networks during neurodegeneration, with a focus on brain plasticity following stroke.

Visit our lab Home Page to learn more.

• Inagaki KH, Chen S, Daie K, Finkelstein A, Fontolan L, Romani S, Svoboda K. 
  Neural algorithms and circuits for motor planning.
  Annual Review of Neuroscience (2022).
   

• Finkelstein A*, Fontolan L*, Economo MN, Li N, Romani S, Svoboda K.
  Attractor dynamics gate cortical information flow during decision-making.
  Nature Neuroscience (2021).
   

• Finkelstein A, Ulanovsky N, Tsodyks M, Aljadeff Y.
  Optimal dynamic coding by mixed-dimensionality neurons in the head-direction system of bats.
  Nature Communications (2018).    
   

• Finkelstein A.
  Motor control: three-dimensional metric of head movements in the mouse brain.
  Current Biology (2018). 
        
• Eliav T, Geva-Sagiv M, Yartsev MM, Finkelstein A, Rubin A, Las L, Ulanovsky N.  
  ​Nonoscillatory phase-coding and synchronization in the bat hippocampal formation.
  Cell (2018).     
   
• Sarel A*, Finkelstein A*, Las L, Ulanovsky N.   
  Vectorial representation of spatial goals in the hippocampus of bats. 
  Science  (2017).    
      
• Finkelstein A, Las L, Ulanovsky N.  
  3-D maps and compasses in the brain.     
  Annual Reviews Neuroscience (2016).
   
• Finkelstein A*, Derdikman D*, Rubin A, Foerster JN, Las L, Ulanovsky N. 
  Three-dimensional head-direction coding in the bat brain. 
  Nature (2015).        
   
• Eisenkraft A, Falk A, Finkelstein A.    The role of glutamate and the immune system in organophosphate-induced CNS damage. 
  Neurotoxicity Research (2013).         
   
• Finkelstein A*, Kunis G*, Berkutzki T, Ronen A, Krivoy A, Yoles E, Last D, Mardor Y, Van Shura K, McFarland E, Capacio BA, Eisner C, Gonzales M, Gregorowicz D, Eisenkraft A, McDonough JH, Schwartz M.
  Immunomodulation by poly-YE reduces organophosphate-induced brain damage. 
  Brain Behavior Immunity (2012).     
   
• Finkelstein A*, Kunis G*, Seksenyan A, Ronen A, Berkutzki T, Azoulay D, Koronyo-Hamaoui M, Schwartz M.
  Abnormal changes in NKT cells, the IGF-1 axis, and liver pathology in an animal model of ALS. 
  PLoS One (2011). 
   
• Ziv Y*, Finkelstein A*, Geffen Y*, Kipnis J, Smirnov I, Shpilman S, Vertkin I, Kimron M, Lange A, Hecht T, Reyman KG, Marder JB, Schwartz M, Yoles E.    
  A novel immune-based therapy for stroke induces neuroprotection and supports neurogenesis. 
  Stroke (2007).