Angela Roberts (scientist)

Angela Roberts is a cognitive neuroscientist known for her research on the neural basis of decision-making, particularly in the context of addiction, impulsivity, and reward processing. She is a Professor of Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Roberts' work utilizes a combination of lesion studies in non-human primates, pharmacological manipulations, and computational modeling to understand the functions of the prefrontal cortex and associated brain regions in regulating goal-directed behavior and inhibiting maladaptive responses. Her research has contributed significantly to understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive control, and how these mechanisms are disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders.

A key focus of her research is on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and its role in flexible decision-making and the ability to adapt to changing environmental contingencies. She has demonstrated the importance of the OFC in representing value and in guiding choices based on learned associations. Her work also explores the interactions between the OFC, amygdala, and striatum in shaping reward-seeking behavior and in mediating the effects of stress and drugs of abuse on decision-making.

Roberts' findings have implications for the development of new treatments for addiction, impulsivity, and other disorders characterized by impaired cognitive control. She has published extensively in high-impact journals and is a highly cited researcher in the field of neuroscience.