Flexible Synapse Strength May Underpin Mammal Brain's Complexity The Scientist - March 24, 2021 Stephanie Rudolph, Ph.D., discusses a study that confirms the relationship between the size of synapses in the brain and their strength, which has implications for memory and learning. Dr. Rudolph is assistant professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.