Meet our faculty: Ruben Portugues

Academic focus: Mechanistic understanding of cognition

Research summary: I am fascinated by how the brain represents a model of the world and how it can use this to plan and decide what to do. This structuring of knowledge and information underlies what we refer to as cognition, and it encompasses most of the processes that make the brain so remarkable. In my lab we use computational, theoretical and experimental approaches with both zebrafish and mice to understand how brain circuits can perform tasks such as spatial navigation, decision-making and learning. This requires us to understand how the brain deals with concepts such as valence, categories and reward, how it builds models of the world, and how it updates them.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I like to spend time with my family, run and swim. A true luxury is having time to read and especially think, though I will almost inevitably fall asleep.

What are your current outreach/extension projects?

I enjoy teaching and have been involved in summer courses for over 10 years. We are new to Ithaca, and it would be great to find a way to be involved with schools, anything from elementary to high school. Fostering curiosity and empowering young people is fulfilling, and it is important to learn that it is OK to ask questions and have doubts.

What brought you to Cornell CALS?

I enjoy being part of a community, and the values of CALS align with mine. I think interactions with students are fundamental, the faculty is passionate, approachable and authentic, and there is a mission of making a worthwhile impact both locally and globally. I feel that it is a very genuine place, where I can contribute, be happy, and continue learning and growing.

What do you think is important for people to understand about your field?

At university I studied mathematics and did my Ph.D. in string theory. Compared to that, my current field of experimental systems neurobiology is very interdisciplinary. We think about biology (the brain, evolution) and engineering (building our microscopes or the brain in terms of control theory); we program and analyze our data using approaches from large data analysis; and we generate theoretical models that we analyze mathematically. It is fun, and the day-to-day is a continuous test in problem-solving and learning.

Why did you feel inspired to pursue a career in this field? 

The brain is incredible. It is capable of so much, and despite our stream of consciousness, it does many things at once, using miniscule amounts of energy. And it is all due to evolution and natural selection. We cannot think of the brain without thinking of the environment we live in and how it shaped our behavior. And we cannot forget that we share our environment with the whole animal kingdom: Their behavior and their brains have been shaped by very similar evolutionary pressures. We are different because we occupy different niches, but we are all equally successful. How do brains do this? What are the general principles that make them so successful? To me, that has always been a worthwhile question to spend time on. 

What advice do you have for students interested in your field of study?

I strive to be genuine and learn. When I was younger, I also wanted to be important and be recognized and admired, and I would lie if I said I never ever think about that. But that does not give me a feeling of belonging or happiness and cannot be controlled. Meaningful interactions with people who are passionate about what they do, helping, and learning mean a lot. Embracing uncertainty also helped me. Worthwhile research is uncertain, and you can grow a lot while doing it.