My research explores the relationship between brain connectivity, neural function, and behavior, through computational modeling. Connectivity is the primary constraint on the information available to a brain region, and so connectivity should be highly predictive of neural responses. I am primarily interested in attention and high-level visual perception, and I have demonstrated that structure-function models can predict how your brain will respond while you perform a task, before you even do that task, using your connectivity patterns alone. This approach aims to uncover the neural circuitry that governs how the brain achieves perception and cognition.     
 

Education 

David received a B.S. in Psychology from The Ohio State University, working with Ben Givens.  He completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at MIT with John Gabrieli, and the received postdoctoral training at Boston University with David Somers.
 

Selected Publications 

1. “Predicting an individual's Dorsal Attention Network from functional connectivity fingerprints.” Osher D.E., Brissenden J.A., Somers D.C. (2019). Journal of Neurophysiology, 122(1), 232-240. 

2. “Topographic cortico-cerebellar networks revealed by visual attention and working memory.” Brissenden J.A., Tobyne S.M.,Osher D.E., Levin E.J., Halko M.A., Somers D.C. (2018). Current Biology, 28(21). 3364-3372.e5. 

3. “Prediction of individualized task activation in sensory modality-selective frontal cortex with connectome fingerprinting.” Tobyne S.M, Somers D.C., Brissenden J.A., Michalka S.W., Noyce A.L., Osher D.E. (2018). NeuroImage, 183, 173–185. 

4. “Sensory-biased attention networks in human lateral frontal cortex revealed by intrinsic functional connectivity.” *Tobyne S.M., *Osher D.E., Michalka S.W., Somers D.C. (2017). NeuroImage,162. 362-372. 

5. “Connectivity precedes function in the development of the visual word form area.” Saygin Z.M., Osher D.E., Norton E. S., Youssoufian D.A., Beach S.D., Feather J., Gaab, N., Gabrieli, J.D., Kanwisher N. (2016). Nature Neuroscience, 19(9), 1250-5. 

6.  “Functional evidence for a cerebellar node of the Dorsal Attention Network.” Brissenden J.A., Levin E.J., Osher D.E., Halko M.A., Somers D.C. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(22), 6083-6096. 

7. “Structural connectivity fingerprints predict cortical selectivity for multiple visual categories across cortex.” Osher D.E., Saxe R., Koldewyn K., Gabrieli J.D.E., Kanwisher N., Saygin Z.M. (2016, ePub 2015). Cerebral Cortex, 26(4), 1668-83. 

8. “Anatomical connectivity patterns predict face-selectivity in the fusiform gyrus.” *Saygin Z.M., *Osher D.E., Koldewyn K., Reynolds G., Gabrieli J.D.E., Saxe R.R. (2012). Nature Neuroscience, 15(2), 321-327.