10/08/2026
You're in the middle of a conversation and you lose your train of thought. You sit down to focus and your mind keeps wandering.
Working memory, the brain's ability to hold, process, and use information in real time, is one of our most essential cognitive functions. And it's one that breaks down in conditions like ADHD and schizophrenia in ways that science is still working to fully understand.
Dr. Ali Mohebi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and one of our 2026 Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant recipients, is investigating exactly how this happens. His research focuses on how two key brain signals, dopamine and a second neuromodulator, work together to control working memory, and what happens when that balance is disrupted. Using innovative optical and electrophysiological techniques, Dr. Mohebi's lab observes brain activity in real time during cognitive tasks, building a detailed picture of how neuromodulatory circuits shape our ability to think, focus, and make decisions.
His recent work has revealed something particularly exciting: dopamine signals across different brain regions operate on distinct timescales, suggesting that the brain uses a far more sophisticated system for managing cognitive control than previously understood. This could change how we think about treating conditions like ADHD and schizophrenia, where working memory dysfunction has a profound impact on daily life.
We're so proud to be supporting this brilliant research!
