{"687343":{"#nid":"687343","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Simin Nasiri","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName: Simin Nasiri\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDissertation Proposal Meeting\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Monday - January 26th, 2026 \u2013 11 AM Eastern Time\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Teams (Link will be provided per request- email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:snasiri6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esnasiri6@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvisor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EDr. Thackery Brown (Georgia Tech, School of Psychology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDissertation Committee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Hugo Spiers \u2013 (University College London, School of Psychology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Sonit Bafna \u2013 (Georgia Tech, School of Architecture)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Randall Engle \u2013 (Georgia Tech, School of Psychology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Tansu Celikel \u2013 (Georgia Tech, School of Psychology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Information Gaps to Cognitive Maps: How Information-Rich Spots Turn into Exploration Goals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhen we encounter prediction errors or information gaps in a novel environment, we do not navigate randomly; rather, the brain appears to follow systematic patterns of exploration. I hypothesize that when novelty in an environment triggers curiosity, it leads the brain to explore novel features. However, I propose that this exploration follows a pattern: \u201chigh-access\u201d or \u201chigh-connectivity\u201d spots\u2014previously referred to as architectural \u201cthreshold zones\u201d\u2014provide a greater amount of information. Given that information itself serves as the reward of curiosity, these information-rich spots (IRS) emerge as goals via providing more reward, which motivate exploration toward locations with higher informational value, making exploration more efficient. The elevated reward at the spots supports learning the environment and constructing an efficient cognitive map centered on these information-rich locations. This process requires evaluating environmental features (valence attribution), comparing the informativeness of alternative options, and selecting goal locations based on expected information gain. Consequently, exploration likely engages a coordinated neural network involved in evaluation, reward, goal setting, decision-making, and motivation, including the hippocampus, striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral prefrontal cortex. This study will test predictions about the contributions of these regions to this understudied precursor of cognitive map formation. Additionally, this study will investigate how different spatial configurations impact navigation efficiency, curiosity-driven motivation to explore, and learning.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Information Gaps to Cognitive Maps: How Information-Rich Spots Turn into Exploration Goals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From Information Gaps to Cognitive Maps: How Information-Rich Spots Turn into Exploration Goals"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-01-15 14:47:53","changed_gmt":"2026-01-15 14:48:34","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-01-26T11:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-01-26T13:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-01-26T13:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-01-26 16:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-01-26 18:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-01-26 18:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"TEAMS","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}