Prof Wolfram Schultz

Reward processing in the brain

Our group is interested in identifying brain signals for reward and economic decisions. As information processing systems work with explicit signals, we like to identify and characterise such signals before investigating detailed neuronal mechanisms. We use concepts from animal learning theory and economic decision theory and combine behavioural, neurophysiological and neuroimaging (fMRI) methods. We search for neuronal responses that implement fundamental theoretical constructs underlying reward-seeking, learning and decision-making, such as reward prediction error, utility, probability, risk, object-action-chosen value, and revealed preference. Studied brain structures include dopamine neurons, striatum, frontal cortex and amygdala. Please find more information from a seminar lecture on this YouTube video, a short general article or update on dopamine reward prediction error coding, a brief overview or longer review on reward and economic decisions, or my CV, publication list, personal website and biography (SfN).

Main collaborations

Ralph Adolphs, Antonio Rangel, Charles R. Plott (Caltech)

Peter Bossaerts (Economy Univ Cambridge)

Fabian Grabenhorst (Univ Oxford)

Masamichi Sakagami (Tamagawa Univ)

Masahiko Takada (Kyoto Univ Primate Ctr at Inuyama)

Ken-ichiro Tsutsui (Tohoku Univ Sendai)

Prizes and honours
Member Academia Europaea 2023, Honorary Member Swedisch Basal Ganglia Society 2023, Lashley Award (Am Philos Soc) 2019, Gruber Prize 2018, Brain Prize 2017, Fellow EMBO 2014, Zülch Prize 2013, Thompson 99th % citations 2002-2012, EJN FENS Award 2010, Fellow Royal Society 2009, Ipsen Prize 2005, Golden Brain Award 2002, Theodore-Ott-Prize 1997, Ellermann Prize 1984.

Named Lectures
Keynote Speaker Baltic Nordic School of Neuroscience Univ Krakow 2022, Keynote Speaker Ann Swiss Neurosci Meeting Fribourg 2022, Opening Plenary Lecture Dopamine Meeting Montreal 2022, Hill Lecture Cambridge Univ 2021, FENS Eastern Europe Lecture (virtual) 2021, Skinner Lecture Assoc Behav Analysis Int (virtual) 2020, Waelsch Lecture Columbia Univ 2019, Swammerdam Lecture Utrecht 2018, Gruber Prize Lecture SfN San Diego 2018, Zülch Lecture Berlin 2018, Keynote Japanese Psychol Assoc Sendai 2018, Volker Henn Lecture Univ Zürich 2018, Brain Prize Lecture FENS Berlin 2018, Ruysch Lecture Univ Amsterdam 2018, Terry Lecture WashU St. Louis 2018, Erlanger Lecture Exp Biol San Diego 2018, Sprague Lecture UPenn Philadelphia 2018, Dean for Science Lecture NYU 2018, Caltech Chen Lecture 2017, Yale Endowed Lecture 2017, Colegio Nacional Mexico 2016, Plenary Lectures Int Congr Psychol and JNS Yokohama 2016, EBBS Prize Lecture FENS Copenhagen 2016, Distinguished Lecture Pharmacology Univ Toronto 2015, Zülch Lecture Göttingen 2015, Qi Zhen Global Lecture Hangzhou 2014, Brenda Milner Lecture McGill Univ Montreal 2014, Ting-Kai Li Lecture San Francisco 2012, Woolsey Lecture Madison 2012, Eli Lilly Lecture Univ Montreal 2011, Mars Lecture Florida 2011, Kavli Lecture Soc Neuroecon Evanston 2010, Roger Brown Louks Lecture Seattle 2009, Netherlands Cognition Lecture Amsterdam 2008, Paul Flechsig Lecture Univ Leipzig 2006, Presidential Lecture Biol Psych Atlanta 2005, Pfizer Lecture SfN San Diego 2004, Special Lecture JNS Osaka 2004, Teuber Lecture MIT 2001, NIH Director's Lecture Bethesda 1999, EBBS ENA Lecture Strassbourg 1996, Brooks Lecture Harvard 1993.

Postdoctoral scientists supervised
Simone Ferrari-Toniolo 2014-23, Daniel F. Hill 2019-23, Leo Chi U Seak 2022-23, Arkadiusz Stasiak 2016-23, Mark Burrell 2020-23, Alexandre Pastor-Bernier 2013-2021, Armin Lak 2013-15, Raymundo Báez-Mendoza 2013-15, Kelly M.J. Diederen 2012-15, Martin D. Vestergaard 2010-17, Fabian Grabenhorst 2009-17, William R. Stauffer 2009-15, Maria A. Bermudez 2005-09, Shunsuke Kobayashi 2005-10, Martin O’Neill 2005-14, Philippe Tobler 2004-09, Ofelia Carvalho 2002-07, Ken-ichiro Tsutsui 2002-05, Istvan Hernadi 2002-05, Christopher D. Fiorillo 1999-2003, Bertram Gerber 1999-2001, Oum K. Hassani 1997-99, Howard C. Cromwell 1996-99, Roland R. Suri 1995-97, Léon Tremblay 1992-96, Jeffrey R. Hollerman 1992-96, Paul Apicella 1987-1990, Tomas Ljungberg 1987-1990, Ranulfo Romo 1985-1987.

PhD students supervised
Leo Chi U Seak 2022, Mark Burrell 2020, Philipe Bujold 2020, Konstantin Volkmann 2019, Alaa Al-Mohammad 2018, Leopold Zangemeister 2017, Charlotte van Coeverden 2017, Wilfried Genest 2016, Armin Lak 2013, Raymundo Báez-Mendoza 2013, Ryan Haynes 2011, Christopher Burke 2010, Krishna Prasad Miyapuram 2009, George Christopoulos 2008, Philippe Tobler 2004, Pascale Waelti 2000, Jacques Mirenowicz 1995, Andreas Studer 1989, Din Lam Toan 1986, Patrick Aebischer 1983, André Ruffieux 1980.