{"id":1959,"date":"2026-01-06T10:21:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/mbi\/?post_type=tribe_events&#038;p=1959"},"modified":"2026-01-08T11:22:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:22:22","slug":"bodian-seminar-alexander-gail-ph-d","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/mbi\/event\/bodian-seminar-alexander-gail-ph-d\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodian Seminar: Alexander Gail, Ph.D."},"content":{"rendered":"<div  class=\"tribe-events-schedule tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t<p class=\"tribe-events-schedule__datetime\">\n\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__date tribe-events-schedule__date--start\">\n\t\t\tJanuary 12\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--date\">\n\t\t\t\t @ \t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--start\">\n\t\t\t\t10:00 am\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t &#8211; \t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t11:00 am\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><strong><strong><strong>Alexander Gail<\/strong><\/strong>, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Group Leader<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>German Primate Center<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><strong><strong><strong>From reaching to social foraging in free movement &#8211; decision making in primate frontoparietal cortex<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Foraging requires integrated processes of selection (decision-making) and planning of goal-directed movements toward the next target. Both cognitive skills are associated with the frontoparietal sensorimotor network in primates but are typically studied in the highly constrained settings of touchscreen-based reaching or saccade tasks. Starting from this framework, I will discuss how spatial sensory information and context-specific valuation signals are integrated during planning and selection of goal-directed action. I will review recent finding showing that dorsal stream spatial encoding adapts to an egocentric or allocentric (object-centered) spatial frame of reference depending on cognitive demand, that neural dynamics map spatial information onto spatial motor goals differently depending on context, and that spatial uncertainty about the own body or the target affect different phases of action planning. Expanding the framework to full-body movements, I will then demonstrate that the planning horizon of frontoparietal networks is not restricted to the near space, but extends to distant targets. In experiments with freely-moving rhesus monkeys, we found that frontoparietal cortex encodes the location and selection of goals at distances beyond immediate reach similar to within-reach goals, while primary motor cortex reflects the immediate adjustment of walking movements. I will discuss how the combination of frontoparietal functions in cortex is highly relevant for goal-directed action during social foraging in terrains with distributed food sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Faculty Host: Dr. Veit Stuphorn<\/p>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__venue tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__events-link\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events tribe-common\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tribe-common-c-btn-border tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg\n\t class=\"tribe-common-c-svgicon tribe-common-c-svgicon--cal-export tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__export-icon\" \taria-hidden=\"true\"\n\tviewBox=\"0 0 23 17\"\n\txmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\n>\n\t<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M.128.896V16.13c0 .211.145.383.323.383h15.354c.179 0 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8.992.61l.958.958L5 6.517.05 1.566l.958-.958z\" class=\"tribe-common-c-svgicon__svg-fill\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"tribe-events-subscribe-dropdown-content\" class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item--gcal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/calendar\/event?action=TEMPLATE&#038;dates=20260112T100000\/20260112T110000&#038;text=Bodian%20Seminar%3A%20Alexander%20Gail%2C%20Ph.D.&#038;details=%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlexander+Gail%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2C+Ph.D.%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cul+class%3D%22wp-block-list%22%3E%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3EGroup+Leader%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%3Cli%3E%3Cstrong%3EGerman+Primate+Center%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%3C%2Ful%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cstrong%3EFrom+reaching+to+social+foraging+in+free+movement+-+decision+making+in+primate+frontoparietal+cortex%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E+%3Cp%3EForaging+requires+integrated+processes+of+selection+%28decision-making%29+and+planning+of+goal-directed+movements+toward+the+next+target.+Both+cognitive+skills+are+associated+with+the+frontoparietal+sensorimotor+network+in+primates+but+are+typically+studied+in+the+highly+constrained+settings+of+touchscreen-based+reaching+or+saccade+tasks.+Starting+from+this+framework%2C+I+will+discuss+how+spatial+sensory+information+and+context-specific+valuation+signals+are+integrated+during+planning+and+selection+of+goal-directed+action.+I+will+review+recent+finding+showing+that+dorsal+stream+spat%3C%2Fp%3E+%28View+Full+event+Description+Here%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fkrieger.jhu.edu%2Fmbi%2Fevent%2Fbodian-seminar-alexander-gail-ph-d%2F%29&#038;trp=false&#038;ctz=America\/New_York&#038;sprop=website:https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/mbi\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow noindex\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGoogle Calendar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item--ical\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow noindex\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tiCalendar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item--outlook-365\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow noindex\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOutlook 365\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item--outlook-live\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"tribe-events-c-subscribe-dropdown__list-item-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow noindex\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOutlook Live\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alexander Gail, Ph.D. From reaching to social foraging in free movement &#8211; decision making in primate frontoparietal cortex Foraging requires integrated processes of selection (decision-making) and planning of goal-directed 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