Weston Pack
Research Interests:
I started graduate school in the fall of 2007 and my current research pursuits involve examining top down influences of the human Frontal Eye Fields on parietal and occipital visual cortex networks. A substantial amount of research from the last few years has demonstrated that the FEF has an influential role in attentional processes. I'm currently interested in determining what this specific role is using transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography.
EEG is a particularly advantageous recording technique because of it's high temporal resolution. The rapidly changing TMS magnetic field strength maximizes at .2 milliseconds, and returns to zero by 1 ms. In order to measure the rapid brain changes that accompany such a brief stimulus, a recording system capable of sampling at 512-1024Hz is needed to prevent aliasing and other undesirable sampling errors. The advanced BioSemi EEG system here in the Klein lab makes for an ideal opportunity to study the specific effects that TMS has on neural networks.
The TMS technique is analogous to producing electro-stimulation in animals, though the effects are noninvasive and short term with no permanent damage or lasting changes in cortical functioning. The TMS pulse actually extends about 2.5-3cm deep from the surface of the scalp, so it is particularly useful for studying cortical processes on the surface of the brain. The human Frontal Eye Field is located at the intersection of the superior frontal sulcus and the pre-central sulcus, allowing for easy access with TMS. I have a lot of interest in psychopharmacology and plan on conducting some interesting pharmacological studies in forthcoming years. I'm also very interested in philosophical topics surrounding Neuroscience, such as the Philosophy of Mind. Being a student at Berkeley, I had the opportunity to be a first generation student of John Searle (and hopefully Hubert Dreyfus if time permits). I can be found frequently attending various consciousness-centered conferences throughout the year.
Some of my non-academic interests include motorcycles, auto mechanics, aviation, paragliding, guitar, welding, and the great outdoors.
Education:
2006 - B.S. in Applied Psychology (minor in Philosophy), Arizona State University
2007 - 2012 Ph.D. (expected), Vision Science, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Email: westonpack@berkeley.edu