Rui Ponte CostaView profile
Associate Professor
Rui Ponte Costa is an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford's Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics (DPAG). He leads the Neural & Machine Learning group, focusing on computational models of learning in the brain by integrating AI principles. His research emphasizes cortical circuits, neuromodulation, and subcortical regions to understand credit assignment mechanisms. He holds a PhD in Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning from the University of Edinburgh and has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Oxford, University of Bern, and McGill University. His group's work bridges theoretical and experimental neuroscience, collaborating with institutions like MILA and Google DeepMind. Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science, University of Coimbra (Portugal) PhD in Computational Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh (UK) Research Interests: Neural mechanisms of learning and plasticity Machine learning inspired by biological systems Cerebro-cerebellar interactions Neuromodulatory systems' role in reinforcement learning Collaborators include Christopher Summerfield, Timothy Behrens, and Yarin Gal. His lab's work has been published in Nature Communications , Cell Reports , and top machine learning venues. He co-organizes the Oxford NeuroTheory Forum and has pioneered models explaining cortical dynamics in task acquisition and consolidation. Advising and Grants: No specific grants listed, but active in collaborative research networks. Advising focuses on PhD students in computational neuroscience and AI. Labs/Teams: Neural & Machine Learning Group at DPAG, part of Oxford's broader neuroscience and AI ecosystem.
