Stefano Cataldi

Columbia University (USA)

Habit and reward circuits in the basal ganglia

2024–2025: Fall and Spring

Stefano Cataldi has 10 years of experience in research, first at the University of Ferrara, and later through his graduate work in the Neuroscience program at the University of British Columbia (UBC). His educational background is in pharmacology. He completed his graduate program at UBC with Prof. Matthew Farrer and Dr. Austen Milnerwood where he utilized mouse genetic models of Parkinson’s Disease to understand early behavioral and neurochemical effects of the illness. He has begun investigating the basal ganglia from a movement/neurodegeneration angle, but current projects have led him towards the understanding of the association of environmental cues with reward and subsequent formation of habits. He is currently an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University (CU), studying complex cognitive abilities with a focus that includes behavioral tasks important for motor disorders as well as mental disorders such as schizophrenia and drug addiction.

At CU, he has been a steward for the Postdocs and Associate Research Scientists Union, contributing to improving working conditions for all postdocs and other employees within the university. The group's work includes the creation of the committee for power-based harassment and the working group IDEAL: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership, both aiming at creating a safe and fair work environment for all workers at Columbia.

Website: www.pharmacology.cuimc.columbia.edu/research/sulzer-lab