Marc A. Sommer

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

We study circuits for cognition. Using a combination of neurophysiology and biomedical engineering, we focus on the interaction between brain areas during visual perception, decision-making, and motor planning. Specific projects include the role of frontal cortex in metacognition, the role of cerebellar-frontal circuits in action timing, the neural basis of "good enough" decision-making (satisficing), and the neural mechanisms of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
  • Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
  • Associate Professor in Neurobiology
  • Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
  • Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Investigator in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 1427 CIEMAS, Box 90281, 101 Science Dr., Durham, NC 27708
  • Email Address: marc.sommer@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995

Research Interests

Neuronal circuits of the brain, including recording from single neurons and studying the effects of inactivating or stimulating well-defined brain areas. His goals are to understand how individual areas process signals and how multiple areas interact to cause cognition and behavior. Results from the work are guiding the design of vision-based models and robots.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research. Pratt School of Engineering. 2021
  • Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising. Pratt School of Engineering. 2017
  • Bass Fellow. Duke University. 2017
  • Research Fellowship-Neuroscience. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. 2005

Courses Taught

  • NEUROSCI 755: Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Neuroscience (IPCN) Independent Research Rotation
  • NEUROSCI 517: Neuronal Control of Movement (GE, EL)
  • NEUROSCI 496: Research Independent Study 4
  • NEUROSCI 495: Research Independent Study 3
  • NEUROSCI 494: Research Independent Study 2
  • NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
  • NEUROSCI 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)
  • NEUROBIO 720: Concepts in Neuroscience II: Principles of Organization of Neuronal Systems
  • BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 601L: Introduction to Neural Engineering
  • BME 517: Neuronal Control of Movement (GE, EL)
  • BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
  • BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
  • BME 301L: Bioelectricity (AC or GE)

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Subramanian, Divya, John Pearson, and Marc Sommer. “Frontal eye field neurons predict “anti-Bayesian” but not Bayesian judgments of visual stability across saccades.” BioRxiv, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.31.630950.
  • Yu, Gene J., Federico Ranieri, Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, Marc A. Sommer, Angel V. Peterchev, and Warren M. Grill. “Circuits and mechanisms for TMS-induced corticospinal waves: Connecting sensitivity analysis to the network graph.” PLoS Comput Biol 20, no. 12 (December 2024): e1012640. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012640.
  • Goswami, Neerav, Michael Shen, Luis J. Gomez, Moritz Dannhauer, Marc A. Sommer, and Angel V. Peterchev. “A semi-automated pipeline for finite element modeling of electric field induced in nonhuman primates by transcranial magnetic stimulation.” J Neurosci Methods 408 (August 2024): 110176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110176.
  • Yu, Gene, Federico Ranieri, Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, Marc Sommer, Angel Peterchev, and Warren Grill. “Circuits and Mechanisms for TMS-Induced Corticospinal Waves: Connecting Sensitivity Analysis to the Network Graph.” BioRxiv, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.05.583549.
  • Chen, Yucheng, Pingping Zhu, Anthony Alers, Tobias Egner, Marc A. Sommer, and Silvia Ferrari. “Heuristic satisficing inferential decision making in human and robot active perception.” Frontiers in Robotics and AI 11 (January 2024): 1384609. https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2024.1384609.