Science

Publications:

• Blake Porter and Kristin Hillman. (2021) Dorsomedial prefrontal neural ensembles reflect changes in task utility that culminate in task quitting. Journal of Neurophysiology, 126(1), 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00003.2021
• Carlos Silva, Blake Porter, and Kristin Hillman. (2020) Stimulation in the Rat Anterior Insula and Anterior Cingulate During an Effortful Weightlifting Task. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15:643384. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.643384
• Catrona Anderson, Renelyn Parra, Hayley Chapman, Alina Steinemer, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2020). Pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale, entopallium, and mesopallium ventrolaterale neural responses during categorisation of Money and Picasso paintings. Scientific Reports, 10, 15971. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72650-y
• Blake Porter, Kunling Li, and Kristin Hillman. (2020) Regional activity in the rat anterior cingulate cortex and insula during persistence and quitting in a physical-effort task. eNeuro, 7(5),0243-20. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0243-20.2020
• Catrona Anderson, Melissa Johnston, Ethan J. Marrs, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2020) Delay activity in the Wulst of pigeons (Columba livia) represents correlates of both sample and reward information. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107214
• Melissa Johnston, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2020) Nidopallium Caudolaterale Neuronal Response During Serial-Order Behaviour in Pigeons. Behavioural Brain Research, 378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112269
• Blake Porter and Kristin L. Hillman (2019) A novel weight lifting task for investigating effort and persistence in rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13:275. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00275/full
• Madeline Dykes, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2019) Neurons in the pigeon nidopallium caidolaterale, but not the corticoidea dorsolateralis, display value and effort discounting related activity. Scientific Reports, 1(9), 15677. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52216-3
• Melissa Johnston, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2019) Delay activity in pigeon nidopallium caudolaterale during a variable-delay memory task. Behavioral Neuroscience, 133(6), 563-568. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31464458
• Melissa Johnston, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2019) Delay Neurons: Comparative Overview. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_2061-1
• William James Clark, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2019) Searching for Face-Category Representation in the Avian Visual Forebrain. Frontiers in Physiology, 10:140. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00140
• Blake Porter, Kristin L. Hillman, and David K. Bilkey. (2019) Anterior Cingulate Cortex encoding of effortful behavior. Journal of Neurophysiology, 121(2), 701-714. https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jn.00654.2018
• Blake Porter, Robert Schmidt, and David K. Bilkey. (2018) Hippocampal place cell encoding of sloping terrain. Hippocampus, 28(11), 767-782.  https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22966. Open Access
• Madeline Dykes, Aylin Klarer, Blake Porter, Jonas Rose, & Michael Colombo. (2018) Neurons in the pigeon Nidopallium Caudolaterale display value-related activity. Scientific Reports, 8:5377. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23694-8. Open Access. [PDF]
• Robert G.K. Munn, Kiah Hardcastle, Blake Porter, & David Bilkey. (2017) Circadian-scale periodic bursts in theta and gamma-band coherence between hippocampus, cingulate and insular cortices. Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, 3, 26 – 37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbscr.2017.04.001. Open access. [PDF]
• Lara M. Rangel, Jon W. Rueckemann, Pamela D. Riviere, Katie R. Keefe, Blake Porter, Ian S. Heimbuch, Carl H. Budlong, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2016) Rhythmic coordination of hippocampal neurons during associative memory processing. eLife, 5:e09849. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09849. Open Access. [PDF]
• Anja Farovik, Ryan Place, Samuel McKenzie, Blake Porter, Catherine Munro, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2015) Orbitofrontal cortex encodes memories within value-based schemas and represents contexts that guide memory retrieval. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(21) 8333-8344. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0134-15.2015 [PDF] 
• Sam McKenzie, Andrea J. Frank, Nathaniel R. Kinsky, Blake Porter, Pamela D. Riviere, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2014) Hippocampal Representation of Related and Opposing Memories Develop within Distinct, Hierarchically Organized Neural Schemas. Neuron, 83(1), 202 – 215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2014.05.019 [PDF]

Poster Presentations:

• Blake Porter, Catherine Shi, Evgeniia Kozlova, and Shantanu P. Jadhav. (2023) Hippocampal-prefrontal neural correlates of schema formation during a transitive inference learning. Society for Neuroscience.
• Blake Porter, Catherine Shi, and Shantanu P. Jadhav (2022) Hippocampal-prefrontal circuit mechanisms that support inferential reasoning. Society for Neuroscience.
• Will Clark, Blake Porter, Catrona Anderson, and Michael Colombo (2020) Investigating ventral steam computations in the Mesopallium and Entopallium of the Pigeon Brain. FENS Forum.
• Catrona Anderson, Renelyn Parra, Alina Steinemer, Hayley Chapman , Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2020) Pigeons (Columba livia) display lateralisation in reward and visual processing while categorising Picasso and Monet paintings. FENS Forum.
• Kristin Hillman and Blake Porter (2019) A novel weight lifting task to investigate persistence in rodents. Australasian Neuroscience Society.
• Blake Porter and Kristin Hillman (2019) A novel weight lifting task to investigate persistence in rodents. Society for Neuroscience.
• Will Clark, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo (2019) Investigating ventral stream computations in the Entopallium and Mesopallium of the pigeon brain. Society for Neuroscience.
• Melissa Johnston, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo (2019) Neural correlates of ordinal knowledge during serial-order tasks in pigeons. Society for Neuroscience.
• Madeline Dykes, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo (2019) Neurons in the pigeon Nidopallium Caudolaterale, but not the Corticoidea Dorsolateralis, display value related activity. Society for Neuroscience.
• Kunling Li, Blake Porter, and Kristin Hillman (2019) Local field potential recordings in the rat Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Anterior Insula, and Ventral Tegmental Area during a voluntary effort exertion task. Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research.
• David K Bilkey, Robert Schmidt, and Blake S. Porter. (2018) Sloping terrain induces changes in phase precession in hippocampal place cells. FENS Forum. Abstract.
• William Clark, Blake Porter, and Michael Colombo. (2018) Face-category representation in the avian visual forebrain. FENS Forum. Poster.
• Blake S. Porter, Calvin K. Young, and David K. Bilkey. (2016) Hippocampal place cell representations of effortful space. Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. Proceedings.
• Blake S. Porter, Kristin L. Hillman, and David K. Bilkey. (2015) The neural mechanisms of representing effortful space. Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research. Proceedings.
• Lara M. Rangel, Katie R. Keefe, Pamela D. Riverère, Carl H. Budlong, Ian S. Heimbuch, Blake Porter, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2014) Single cell and ensemble odor-place representations in the Dentate Gyrus and CA1 of the Hippocampus. Society for Neuroscience Conference. Abstract.
• Lara M. Rangel, Jeremiah S. Rosen, K. V. Chawla, Brian J. Ferreri, Ian Heimbuch, Blake Porter, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2013) Persistent increases in beta frequency oscillatory activity in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampus During Object-Context Association Intervals. Society for Neuroscience Conference. Abstract.
• Anja Farovik, Sam McKenzie, Ryan Place, Blake Porter, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2013) Neural activity by Medial Prefrontal cell ensembles during context-guided object discrimination. Society for Neuroscience Conference. Abstract.
• Sam McKenzie, Andrea Frank, Lara M. Rangel, Jeremiah S. Rosen, Vittoria Smeglin, Blake Porter, and Howard Eichenbaum. (2013) Multidimensional coding in the Hippocampal network. Society for Neuroscience Conference. Abstract.
• Blake Porter, Andrea Frank, Howard Eichenbaum. (2012) How does the Hippocampus integrate multiple related memory representations? Boston University Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program symposium. Link to Poster. Presenting the poster (to Sam McKenzie).

Talks:

• Blake S. Porter. (2018) Rodent effort tasks. The Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animal Association’s Tech Week.
• Blake S. Porter. (2016) The effects of effort on hippocampal spatial representations. Brain Health Research Center 10th Annual Conference.
• Blake S. Porter. (2015) The network dynamics of effort encoding between the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex. Brain Health Research Center’s 9th Annual Conference. Recap of the event.
• Blake S. Porter (2015) The cost of space: How the brain works and how it plans costly routes. Presentation at the University of Otago’s Abbey College.

 Outreach:

• Discussing neuroscience and AI on the Brain Inspired podcast
• New Zealand International Science Festival 2018
  • Interactive neural circuit exhibit with Long Term Potential ‘s model neurons sponsors by University of Otago’s Psychology department and BHRC
• Discussing our research on the neural mechanism of forfeit behaviour on Our Changing World by Radio NZ
• Presentation on “How the brain responds to disease and injury” for the Dare to Succeed programme for Sciences
• Organizer for the Dunedin satellite March for Science 2017
• Public lecture on “Behind Disney’s Inside Out” with inSight at Catalyst New Zealand
• New Zealand International Science Festival 2016
  • Interactive neural circuit exhibit in collaboration with scientific glass blower Anne Ryan
  • Public lecture “The neuroscience behind Disney Pixar’s Inside Out“
  • 2x Nominated Otago Daily Times Science Communicator Award
• Science Outreach Certificate for 95 hours of science outreach, presented by the University of Otago and the SNAP committee (Science News and Promotions)
• Click here to hear my radio interview with Science Notes Otago and Otago Access Radio on brains, my PhD work, and some advances in the field of neuroscience
• Every year the University of Otago’s Brain Health Research Center puts on various events and demonstrations to raise public awareness of Brain Health and Brain Research
  • 2018
    • The Brain 101: A user’s guide – A public lecture on all things brain, including anatomy and physiology, development, sensation & movement, and learning & memory
  • 2017
    • Radio New Zealand interview about Inside Out and Brain Week 
    • Windows into the Brain – Public outreach at the Otago Museum with interactive neurons
    • Screening Disney Pixar’s Inside Out and giving a lecture on the neuroscience themes of the movie
  •  2016
    • Talking to Year 4 & 5 students at the East Taieri School about brains and what it is like being a scientist
    • Engaging the public with a giant inflatable brain! Talking about brains and brain health
    • Taking questions from the public after screenings of the Neurodome at Otago Museum’s Planetarium
    • Feeding a healthy brain presentation at the Brockville School, Years 1 – 8
  • 2015
    • Music in the Brain
• Quora (>150,000 answer views as of 2022)
• Twitter (~1,000 Followers as of 2022)
• This website! (~4,000 visitors per month as of 2022)
  • My posts have been used as course material around the world at universities such as McGill, University of Winchester, University of Florida, University of South Florida, John Carroll University, and the University of Utah.

My Neurotree

Founder and CEO Long Term Potential Inc.

Focused on developing STEM education technologies for interactive learning

A core concept in neuroscience is Long Term Potentiation; the process in which the connection between two neurons is strengthened. Long Term Potentiation (LTP) is the underlying mechanism for learning and memory throughout the brain and nervous system. LTP allows us to learn languages, solve math problems, ride a bike, and remember our lives. However, LTP requires very specific input patterns otherwise learning does not take place. The goal of Long Term Potential is to provide the right pattern of inputs for students to facilitate learning in STEM subjects. Gone are the days of lifeless textbooks, static whiteboards, and the practice of short term learning of information just to pass the next test and then be forgotten. Students should be participating in the learning process rather than passively taking in information. In this age of technology our youth have the opportunity to learn more deeply and effectively than ever before. Kids are inherently curious and pre-wired to ask “but why?” and “what if..?”. Instead of memorizing facts students should be taught underlying concepts and be given the tools to manipulate these concepts and observe their effects. “What if neurons sent signals faster? Slower? Bigger? Smaller?” “Why do hearts beat as fast as they do? Why not 300 beats per minute? Why not 10?” Through these iterative engagements students form an intuition about subject matter and gain a more comprehensive understanding of new ideas. We have the technology and the research which enables us to provide a robust learning environment for all children and their learning styles. The mission on Long Term Potential is to develop technologies to facilitate interactive learning and unlock the true potential of the next generation for the long term. https://www.facebook.com/LongTermPotential. See a demo here: https://youtu.be/IJeyvr5QPvI