June-Seek Choi
Papers
1
Total Citations
215
H-Index
1
About
June-Seek Choi is a leading behavioral neuroscientist whose work bridges the gap between ecological theory and neural mechanisms of fear and decision-making. Her research centers on how the amygdala and related circuits regulate defensive behaviors in dynamic, ethologically relevant contexts—moving beyond traditional Pavlovian conditioning to explore real-world survival trade-offs. In her landmark 2010 study, Choi demonstrated that the amygdala critically governs risk assessment in rats foraging under predatory threat, showing that animals balance food acquisition against predation risk in a "fear environment." This work, cited over 215 times, reshaped understanding of fear as an adaptive, cost-benefit calculation rather than a simple reflex. Her contributions have profound implications for anxiety disorders, where such risk-reward computations go awry. By integrating field-inspired paradigms with precise neural manipulation, Choi has pioneered a framework that unites ecology, ethology, and systems neuroscience. Her findings are essential reading for students and researchers interested in the neurobiology of fear, anxiety, and survival circuits.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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