William Esber
Assistant Professor
Psychology
Location:
Phone:
Fax: 718.951.4814
Email:
Dr. Esber received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Cardiff University, UK, working under the supervision of John M. Pearce on the mechanisms of cue competition in associative learning. He then moved to the U.S. to pursue postdoctoral training in behavioral neuroscience under the supervision of Peter C. Holland (Johns Hopkins University) and Geoffrey Schoenbaum (National Institute on Drug Abuse). During this training he focuses on the neural mechanisms of attention in learning, and published a theoretical model on the role of attention in learning. He opened the Brooklyn Neurobiology of Learning lab at Brooklyn College in the summer of 2016. For more information on his lab's research please visit www.esberlab.com.
Education:
Ph.D., Cardiff University, UK - 2008 (Psychology)
B.S., University of Barcelona, Spain - 2003 (Psychology)
Areas of Expertise:
Our lab investigates the neural substrates of learning and memory at the systems neuroscience level. Overarching questions of our research include how neuronal circuits encode information during reward learning and how this information later influences decision-making. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms of learning and memory at the neural circuit level and shed light on their contribution to individual differences and maladaptive behavior.
Books and Publications
Lay B, Nicolosi M, Usypchuk A, Esber, G.R., Iordanova MD (2018). Dissociation of appetitive overexpectation and extinction in the infralimbic cortex. Cerebral Cortex, bhy248. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Iordanova, M. D., Deroche, M. L. D., Esber, G.R. & Schoenbaum, G. (2016). The role of the central nucleus of the amygdala in two types of extinction. Nature Communications, 7:12330. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
Chang, C.Y., Esber, G.R., Marrero-Garcia, Y., Yau, H.J., Bonci, A. & Schoenbaum, G. (2015). Brief optogenetic inhibition of dopamine neurons mimics endogenous negative reward prediction errors. Nature Neuroscience, 1-8, 61, 114. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2015
Esber, G. R., Torres-Tristani, K. & Holland, P.C. (2015). Amygdalo-striatal interaction in the enhancement of stimulus salience in associative learning. Behavioral Neuroscience, 129(2), 87-95. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2015
Esber, G. R. & Holland, P. C. (2014). The basolateral amygdala is necessary for negative prediction errors to enhance cue salience, but not to produce conditioned inhibition. European Journal of Neuroscience, 40(9), 3328-37. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2014
McDannald M. A., Esber G.R., Wegener, M. A., Wied H. M., Liu, T. L., Stalnaker, T. A., Jones, J. L., Trageser, J. & Schoenbaum, G. (2014). Orbitofrontal neurons acquire responses to 'valueless' Pavlovian cues during unblocking. eLife 3:e02653. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2014
Ogawa M., van der Meer M. A., Esber G. R., Cerri D. H., Stalnaker T. A., Schoenbaum G. (2013). Risk-Responsive Orbitofrontal Neurons Track Acquired Salience. Neuron, 77(2), 251-258. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
Schoenbaum G., Esber G.R., Iordanova, M. D. (2013). Dopamine signals mimic reward prediction errors. Nature Neuroscience, 16, 777-779. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
Esber G. R., Roesch M. R., Bali S., Trageser J., Bissonette G. B., Puche A. C., Holland P. C., & Schoenbaum G. (2012). Attention-related Pearce-Kaye-Hall signals in basolateral amygdala require the midbrain dopaminergic system. Biological Psychiatry, 72(12), 1012-9. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Jones J. L., Esber G. R., McDannald M. A., Gruber A. J., Hernandez A., Mirenzi A., Schoenbaum G. (2012). Orbitofrontal cortex supports behavior and learning using inferred but not cached values. Science. 338(6109), 953-6. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
LePelley, M. E., Haselgrove, M. & Esber G. R. (2012). Modelling attention in associative learning: Two processes or one? Learning and Behavior, 40(3), 292-304. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Pearce J. M., Dopson J. C., Haselgrove M., Esber G. R. (2012). The fate of redundant cues during blocking and a simple discrimination. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 38(2), 167-79. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Roesch, M. R., Esber, G. R., Bryden, D. W., Cerri, D. H., Haney, Z. R. & Schoenbaum, G. (2012). Normal aging alters learning and attention-related teaching signals in basolateral amygdala. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(38): 13137-44. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Dopson J. C., Esber G. R., Pearce J. M. (2011). Changes in attention to an irrelevant cue that accompanies a negative patterning discrimination. Learning and Behavior, 39(4), 336-349. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Dopson J. C., Williams N. A., Esber G. R., Pearce J. M. (2011). Stimuli that signal the absence of reinforcement are paid more attention than are irrelevant stimuli. Learning and Behavior, 38(4), 337:347. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Esber G. R., Haselgrove M. (2011). Reconciling the influence of predictiveness and uncertainty on stimulus salience: a model of attention in associative learning. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B, 278, 2553-2561. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Roesch, M. R., Esber, G. R., Li, J., Daw, N. D., & Schoenbaum, G. (2011). Surprise! Neural correlates of Pearce-Hall and Rescorla-Wagner coexist within the brain. European Journal of Neuroscience, 35(7), 1190-1200. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Dopson, J. C., Esber, G. R., & Pearce, J. M. (2010). Differences in the associability of relevant and irrelevant stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 36, 258-267. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Dopson, J., Williams, N. A., Esber, G. R. & Pearce, J. M. (2010). Enhanced attention to stimuli that consistently signal the absence of reinforcement. Learning and Behavior, 38, 337-347. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Haselgrove, M., Esber, G. R., Pearce, J. M., & Jones, P. M. (2010). Two kinds of attention in Pavlovian conditioning: Evidence for a hybrid model of learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes. 36, 456-470. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Roesch M. R., Calu D.J., Esber G.R., Schoenbaum G. (2010). All that glitters ... dissociating attention and outcome expectancy from prediction errors signals. Journal of Neurophysiology., 104(2), 587-595. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Roesch M.R., Calu D.J., Esber G.R., Schoenbaum G. (2010). Neural correlates of variations in event processing during learning in basolateral amygdala. Journal of Neuroscience, 30, 2464 -2471. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Schoenbaum, G., & Esber G.R. (2010). How do you (estimate you will) like them apples? Integration as a defining trait of orbitofrontal function. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 20, 205-21. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Esber, G. R., Pearce, J. M., & Haselgrove, M. (2009). Enhancement of responding to A following A+/AX+ training: Challenges for a comparator theory of learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 35, 485-497. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
McGregor, A., Horne, M. R., Esber, G. R., & Pearce, J. M. (2009). Absence of overshadowing between a landmark and geometric cues in a distinctively shaped environment: A test of Miller and Shettleworth (2007). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 35, 357-370. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
Pearce, J. M., Esber, G. R., & George, D. N., & Haselgrove, M. (2008). The nature of discrimination learning in pigeons. Learning and Behavior, 36, 188-199. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2008
Esber, G. R., McGregor, A., Good, M. A., Hayward, A., & Pearce, J. M. (2005). Transfer of spatial behavior controlled by a landmark array with a distinctive shape. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58B, 69-91. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2005
