Publications
​

(* indicates joint first or joint last authorship)

Recent Key Publications:

1. Fritsche M, Toschi C, Shevchuk Y, Didenko O, Puliyadi R, Majumdar A, Bogacz R, Lak A, Dorsal striatal dopamine integrates sensory and reward prediction errors to guide perceptual decisions. bioRxiv 2026.
2. Majumdar* A, Ashcroft* C, Fritsche* M, Tan S, Zatka-Haas P, Folsz O, Walker N, Mistry L, Rominto AM, Tvrdic M, Molnar Z, Atilgan H, Packer AM, Butt SJB, Lak A, Distinct representations of economic variables across regions and projections of the frontal cortex. Neuron, 2025.
3. Liebana S, Laffere A, Toschi C, Schilling L, Moretti J, Podlaski J, Fritsche M, Zatka-Haas P, Li Y, Bogacz R, Saxe A, Lak A, Dopamine encodes deep network teaching signals for individual learning trajectories. Cell, 2025.
4. Fritsche M, Majumdar A, Strickland L, Liebana Garcia S, Bogacz R, Lak A, Temporal regularities shape perceptual decisions and striatal dopamine signals.  Nature Communications, 2024.

All ​Peer-reviewed Publications & pre-prints: 

1. Zhang Y, Dufour JP, Zatka-Haas P, Redgrave P, BlackMJ, Lak A, Mann E, Cragg SJ, Abraham W, Reynolds JNJ, The superior colliculus gates dopamine responses to conditioned stimuli in visual classical conditioning. Nature Communications 2026.
2. Fritsche M, Toschi C, Shevchuk Y, Didenko O, Puliyadi R, Majumdar A, Bogacz R, Lak A, Dorsal striatal dopamine integrates sensory and reward prediction errors to guide perceptual decisions. bioRxiv 2026.
3. Russell B, Lees RB, Lak A, Packer AM, Desensitization of opsin responses during all-optical interrogation depends on imaging parameters. Neurophotonics 2026.
4. Majumdar* A, Ashcroft* C, Fritsche* M, Tan S, Zatka-Haas P, Folsz O, Walker N, Mistry L, Rominto AM, Tvrdic M, Molnar Z, Atilgan H, Packer AM, Butt SJB, Lak A, Distinct representations of economic variables across regions and projections of the frontal cortex. Neuron, 2025.
5. Liebana S, Laffere A, Toschi C, Schilling L, Moretti J, Podlaski J, Fritsche M, Zatka-Haas P, Li Y, Bogacz R, Saxe A, Lak A, Dopamine encodes deep network teaching signals for individual learning trajectories. Cell, 2025.
6. Zhang Y, Luan P, Qiao Q, He Y, Zatka-Haas P, Zhang G, Lin M, Lak A, Jing M, Mann EO, Cragg A, An axonal brake on striatal dopamine output by cholinergic interneurons. Nature Neuroscience, 2025.
7. Atilgan H, Wang J, Hu Q, Tan S, Russell B, Bruno RM, Booth MJ, Lak A, Deep three-photon functional imaging in the mouse cortex with adaptive optics. bioRxiv 2025.
8. Messore F, Narayanan RT, Dufour JP, Hoerder-Suabedissen A, Guidi L, Korrell K, Mueller M, Lak A, Bannerman D, Mann EO, Molnar Z, An orexin-sensitive subpopulation of layer 6 neurons regulates cortical excitability and anxiety behaviour. Translational Psychiatry, 2025.
9. Gershman SJ, Lak A, Policy complexity suppresses dopamine responses. Journal of Neuroscience, 2025. 
10. Millidge BG , Song Y, Lak A, Walton ME, Bogacz R, Reward-Bases: a simple mechanism for adaptive acquisition of multiple reward types. PLOS Computational Biology, 2024.
11. Peng Y, Lindersson C, Tinelli S, Stedehouder J, Shah R, Lak A, Stagg CJ, Sharott A, Brain-wide population activity during reaching integrates action-mediated goal expectation. bioRxiv 2024.
12. Fritsche M, Majumdar A, Strickland L, Liebana Garcia S, Bogacz R, Lak A, Temporal regularities shape perceptual decisions and striatal dopamine signals.  Nature Communications, 2024.
13. Wang Y, Lak A, Manohar SG, Bogacz R, Dopamine encoding of novelty facilitates efficient uncertainty-driven exploration. PLOS Computational Biology, 2024.
14. Wool LE, Lak A, Carandini M, Harris KD, Mouse frontal cortex nonlinearly encodes stimuli, choices, and outcomes. Wellcome Open Research, 2023.
15. Farrell K, Lak* A, Saleem* AB, Midbrain dopamine neurons signal phasic and ramping reward prediction error during goal-directed navigation. Cell Reports, 2022.
16. Moss M, Zatka-Haas P, Harris KD, Carandini M, Lak A, ​Dopamine axons in dorsal striatum encode contralateral visual stimuli and choices. Journal of Neuroscience, 2021. 
17. Masset* P, Ott* T, Lak A, Hirokawa J, Kepecs A, Behavior- and modality-general representation of confidence in orbitofrontal cortex. Cell, 2020.
18. Lak A, Hueske E, Hirokawa J, Masset P, Ott T, Urai AE, Donner TH, Carandini M, Tonegawa S, Uchida N, Kepecs A, Reinforcement biases subsequent perceptual decisions when confidence is low, a widespread behavioral phenomenon. eLife, 2020. 
19. Lak A, Okun M, Moss M, Gurnani H, Farrell K, Wells MJ, Bai Reddy C, Kepecs A, Harris KD, Carandini M, Dopaminergic and Prefrontal Basis of Learning from Sensory Confidence and Reward Value. Neuron, 2020. See Preview by Stolyarova and Wikenheiser at Neuron.
20. Okun M, Steinmetz NA, Lak A, Dervinis M, Harris KD, Distinct Structure of Cortical Population Activity on Fast and Infraslow Timescales. Cerebral Cortex, 2019.
21. Burgess* CP, Lak* A, Steinmetz* NA, Zatka-Haas* P, Reddy CB, Jacobs EAK, Linden JF, Paton JJ, Ranson A, Schroder S, Soares S, Wells MJ, Wool LE, Harris KD, Carandini M, High-yield methods for accurate two-alternative visual psychophysics in head-fixed mice. Cell Reports, 2017.
22. Lak A, Nomoto K, Keramati M, Sakagami M, Kepecs A, Midbrain dopamine neurons signal belief in choice accuracy during a perceptual decision. Current Biology, 2017.
23. Lak A, Stauffer WR, Schultz W, Dopamine neurons learn relative chosen value from probabilistic rewards. eLife, 2016.
24. Stauffer WR, Lak A, Yang A, Borel M, Paulsen O, Boyden E, Schultz W, Dopamine neuron-specific optogenetic stimulation in Rhesus macaques. Cell, 2016.
25. Okun M, Lak A, Carandini M, Harris KD, Long term recordings with immobile silicon probes in the mouse cortex. PLOS ONE, 2016.
26. Stauffer WR, Lak A, Bossaerts P, Schultz W, Economic choices reveal probability distortion in macaque monkeys. Journal of Neuroscience, 2015.
27. Lak A, Costa GM, Romberg E, Koulakov A, Mainen ZF, Kepecs A, Orbitofrontal cortex is required for optimal waiting based on decision confidence. Neuron, 2014.
28. Stauffer* WR, Lak* A, Schultz W, Dopamine reward prediction error responses reflect marginal utility. Current Biology, 2014.
29. Lak* A, Stauffer* WR, Schultz W, Dopamine prediction error responses integrate subjective value from different reward dimensions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 2014.
30. Omrani* M, Lak* A, Diamond ME, Learning not to feel: reshaping the resolution of tactile perception. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 2013.
31. Sperandio I, Lak A, and Goodale MA, Afterimage size is modulated by size-contrast illusions. Journal of Vision, 2012.
32. Lak A, Arabzadeh E, Harris JA, Diamond ME, Correlated physiological and perceptual effects of noise in a tactile stimulus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 2010.
33. Lak A, Attention during adaptation weakens negative afterimages of perceptually color-spread surfaces. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2008.
34. Lak A, Arabzadeh E, Diamond ME, Enhanced response of neurons in rat somatosensory cortex to stimuli containing temporal noise. Cerebral Cortex, 2008.

Reviews & Commentaries:

1. Liebana S, Fritsche M, Lak A, Dopaminergic computations for perceptual decisions. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2024.
2. Schultz W, Stauffer WR, Lak A, Pastor-Bernier A, Smarter than humans: rationality reflected in primate neuronal reward signals. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2021.
3. Butt SJB, Lak A, The Spineless Origins of Prefrontal Cortex Dysfunction and Psychiatric Disorders. Neuron, 2020. 
4. Schultz W, Stauffer WR, Lak A, The phasic dopamine signal maturing: from reward via behavioural activation to formal economic utility. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 2017.
5. Stauffer WR, Lak A, Kobayashi S, Schultz W, Components and characteristics of the dopamine reward utility signal. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2016.
6. Lak A, Stauffer WR, A role for orbitofrontal neurons in risky decisions. Journal of Neuroscience, 2015.​ ​​

 
Technical reports:

1. Didenko O, Tan S, Atilgan H, Lak A, GCaMP8 transgenic mice learn to make visual decisions. PsyArXiv 2024.