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Steel Lab
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Our lab investigates fundamental principles governing interactions between brain systems in humans. Our research seeks to understand how distinct neural networks coordinate to produce unified cognitive experiences.
Using ultra-high resolution 7 Tesla fMRI and immersive virtual reality, we examine how brain systems that serve different functions—such as perception, memory, attention, and spatial cognition—communicate and influence each other's activity. Our work reveals organizing principles that structure these interactions, from specific neural coding schemes like retinotopic maps to broader network dynamics that coordinate internal and external attention.
Current research focuses on:
Inter-system communication mechanisms that coordinate activity across brain networks
Spatial coding principles that organize neural representations across multiple brain systems
Perception-memory interactions in naturalistic, real-world contexts
Individual differences in neural organization and system interactions
The lab is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Neuroscience Program, and the IMMERSE initiative at UIUC. Our goal is to uncover the fundamental computational and organizational principles that enable the brain's diverse systems to work together, producing the seamless integration of perception, memory, and cognition that characterizes human experience.
Our principal investigator is Dr. Adam Steel.