When Albert Lee first started wondering how the brain works, he
was surprised to find that the answers to his questions could
not be found in books or scientific journals. His curiosity
persisted, and eventually drove him to a career in neuroscience,
where today he is seeking his own answers in the laboratory. He
is drawn to big questions, such as how animals learn, store, and
recall specific items and events. As he investigates these
processes, he is also creating new research tools that broaden
the scope of the questions he and his colleagues are able to
address. Lee’s research focus is the neural basis of learning
and memory. In mice and humans, an area of the brain called the
hippocampus contains cells that are active in specific
locations. In a rodent, “place cells” in the hippocampus help
the animal create an internal representation of a new
environment. Studies of place cells in rats and mice could help
scientists better understand how learning occurs in the human
brain. Until now, scientists who wante