Javier OrlandiView profile
Assistant Professor
Javier Orlandi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Calgary, where he leads the Complex Neural Systems Lab as a Canada Research Chair. His research bridges systems neuroscience, complexity science, and statistical physics, focusing on understanding distributed coding principles in the brain and their impact on perception and learning. He employs computational and experimental approaches, including large-scale calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulation, in collaboration with institutions such as the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Computational Neuroscience Platform. Orlandi earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Barcelona (2015), studying spontaneous activity in neuronal cultures. Subsequent postdoctoral research included work at the University of Barcelona (2015–2016) on Huntington’s disease, followed by the University of Calgary (2016–2019) and RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan (2019–2022), where he explored cortical processing during decision-making. His research has addressed criticality in neural systems, network inference, and the impact of genetic mutations on brain activity. Key areas of interest include self-organized criticality, neuro-glia communication, and the development of tools like NETCAL for analyzing calcium imaging data. Orlandi has organized challenges to advance connectomics and holds the Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship and Canada Research Chair awards. His work integrates theoretical models with experimental data to uncover fundamental principles of neural computation. Affiliations: Complexity Science Group, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Computational Neuroscience Platform Education: Ph.D. in Physics (University of Barcelona, 2015) Grants: Canada Research Chair, Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship Labs: Complex Neural Systems Lab at University of Calgary











