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Registration
Apr. 15
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Hasan Ayaz, PhD
Hasan Ayaz, PhDApr. 15
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Nathaniel J. Killian, PhD
Apr. 15
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Coffee Break
Apr. 15
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Signals of Emotion
Alana Campbell, PhDApr. 15
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Shaping Children’s Emotional Worlds: New Insights from the COPE Study
Lauren K. White, PhDApr. 15
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Lunch
Apr. 15
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Neural Signatures of Dual-Task Walking Demands in Individuals at Risk of Cognitive Impairment
Pierfilippo de Sanctis, PhDApr. 15
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Towards a multimodal platform to understand brain-body interactions underlying effort-based decision-making
Sankaraleengam Alagapan, PhDApr. 15
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Poster Session
Apr. 15
Event ANT Neuromeeting 2026 - Philadelphia
starts on
Apr 15, 2026, 3:30:00 AM
(US/Eastern)
Prime-TMS: The Path to Theoretical and Clinical Precision
4/16/26, 1:00 PM
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4/16/26, 1:35 PM
(US/Eastern)
(35 minutes)
Travis E. Baker, PhD
Associate Professor
at Rutgers University Newark
Travis E. Baker, PhD
Associate Professor
at Rutgers University Newark
Travis E. Baker, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University in the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, where he directs the Laboratory for Neurostimulation and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding the neurocognitive and computational mechanisms that support goal-directed behavior, with a particular emphasis on reinforcement learning and spatial navigation. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the study of the anterior midcingulate cortex (MCC) and the development of the reward positivity as a biomarker of MCC reward function.
Dr. Baker’s work integrates electrophysiology, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and noninvasive brain stimulation (TMS) to identify and modulate neural circuits underlying goal-directed behavior. His research has advanced mechanistic understanding of how these systems are disrupted in clinical populations, including individuals with substance use disorders, with the goal of developing targeted, circuit-based TMS interventions.
He has received multiple awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, including Cutting-Edge Basic Research Awards, and serves as Principal Investigator on several NIH-funded projects focused on neuromodulation of reward circuitry in addiction. Dr. Baker completed his PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science at the University of Victoria and postdoctoral training at the University of Montreal and Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University.
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are characterized by disruption of brain circuits that support reward processing and goal-directed behavior. Across substances, converging evidence points to dysfunction within the anterior midcingulate cortex (MCC), a key node for reinforcement learning that uses reward prediction error signals to guide adaptive behavior. One electrophysiological index of this function—the reward positivity (RewP)—has provided important insight into how reward processing is altered in addiction and related conditions. However, translating this knowledge into effective interventions requires the ability to causally and precisely modulate this circuit. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) offers a powerful approach to probe and influence MCC function, but its efficacy depends critically on how stimulation is delivered. In this talk, I will present a framework for optimizing TMS along two key dimensions: targeting and pulse protocol. First, I will show that individualized targeting based on structural and functional connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and MCC enables more precise engagement of the reward circuit. Second, I will demonstrate that stimulation frequency is not interchangeable: different pulse protocols produce distinct, and in some cases opposing, effects on MCC reward signaling as indexed by the RewP. Importantly, modulation of this signal is not epiphenomenal—it maps onto behavior. Enhancing MCC reward signaling is associated with improved reward learning and goal-directed behavior, whereas disrupting it produces the opposite pattern. These findings establish that TMS can bidirectionally modulate core reward computations relevant to addiction. Together, this work has led to the development of PRIME TMS (Pathway-precise Reward Intervention via MCC Engagement), a precision neuromodulation approach that integrates connectivity-guided targeting with optimized stimulation parameters to restore reward circuit function. By directly targeting the neural mechanisms underlying impaired motivation, PRIME TMS represents a scalable strategy for improving treatment outcomes in SUD and related disorders.