Danilo Bzdok is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. He holds dual expertise in systems neuroscience and machine learning, with two doctoral degrees: one in neuroscience from Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany) and another in computer science (machine learning statistics) from INRIA–Saclay and Neurospin (France). His research bridges computational neuroscience and AI, focusing on understanding human intelligence through neuroimaging and biomedical data. Education: PhDs in Neuroscience (Jülich) and Computer Science (INRIA/Neurospin). Postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. Current affiliations include McGill University and Mila. Research interests span computational biology, deep learning, LLMs, and their applications in neuroimaging, precision medicine, and neurodegenerative diseases. Over 150+ peer-reviewed publications, with recent work on LLMs in autism diagnostics, brain network modeling, and social neuroscience. Key Awards: Canada CIFAR AI Chair. Lab focuses on interdisciplinary projects like AI4Science, neuroimaging analysis, and AI ethics. Supervises a dynamic team of PhD/Master’s students and postdocs. Collaborations include clinical institutions and industry partners through Mila’s Applied Research programs.
Lief Fenno, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, affiliated with Dell Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Natural Sciences’ Department of Neurology. He is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction medicine, particularly medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. His research focuses on molecular and viral tools to study neuron circuitry and behavior, with applications in precision medicine for neurological and psychiatric conditions. Fenno earned his MD and PhD from Stanford University and a BA in neurobiology from Harvard University. His research integrates neuroscience, bioengineering, and clinical medicine to develop novel tools for understanding neural circuits. Key interests include optogenetics, chemogenetics, and optical imaging of neuronal activity in awake subjects. The Fenno Lab explores mechanisms of neurological diseases, particularly addiction, and aims to translate findings into clinical treatments. Recent work emphasizes brain-wide mapping of neural circuits, including studies on glutamate neuron subtypes and VTA-lateral habenula interactions. His lab also develops sono-optogenetic technologies and nanotransducers for deep brain stimulation. Fenno’s educational background includes residency in psychiatry and a bioengineering fellowship at Stanford, underscoring his interdisciplinary approach to neuroscientific challenges.
Peter Bearman serves as Director of the Incite Institute and holds the Jonathan R. Cole Professorship of Sociology at Columbia University, where he maintains an active research and teaching profile within the Department of Sociology. His office is located at Knox Hall on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus. Bearman specializes in social network analysis and historical sociology, with significant contributions to health/population studies and qualitative methodology. His research increasingly integrates computational approaches for text and narrative analysis, examining phenomena ranging from historical religious discourse to modern social conflict dynamics. This interdisciplinary work bridges classical sociological theory with contemporary methodological innovation. Recent publications reveal a trajectory toward computational social science applications, particularly in semantic network analysis of historical texts and neural correlates of social behavior. His work consistently connects micro-level interactions with macro-scale social structures across diverse contexts including religious history, workplace conflict, and collective violence. His distinguished scientific honors include: Kohli Prize for Sociology (2025) for contributions to movements, networks, health, and science Golden Goose Award (2016) for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Election to the National Academy of Medicine (2019) Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Membership in the National Academy of Sciences Bearman co-designed the landmark National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, demonstrating sustained leadership in major federally-funded research initiatives. As Director of the Incite Institute, he oversees interdisciplinary research teams and co-edits Columbia University Press's Middle Range and Oral History book series, actively shaping scholarly discourse through mentorship and publication curation. The Incite Institute functions as Bearman's primary research hub, facilitating collaborations that advance innovative methodologies in social science while connecting historical analysis with contemporary network theory applications.
Louis Collins is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, with associate membership at the Center for Intelligent Machines. His work focuses on advanced medical imaging techniques for neurological applications. Key Expertise: Non-linear image registration, model-based segmentation, neuroimaging, MRI analysis Applications: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, schizophrenia Methodology: Development of computer vision algorithms for image-guided neurosurgery (IGNS), automated atlasing, and biomarker quantification Collins' research combines computational neuroanatomy with clinical translation, particularly in: Quantifying brain atrophy and anatomical variability across populations Optimizing MRI templates for improved diagnostic accuracy Developing tools like SEEGAtlas for surgical electrode classification Exploring neurophysiological fingerprints of neurodegenerative diseases His lab (NIST-Lab) actively pursues CIHR-funded projects on ultrasound-based image-guided neurosurgery and machine learning applications in clinical trials.
Richard Futrell is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), affiliated with the Department of Language Science. He leads the Language Processing Group, focusing on computational models of human and machine language processing. His work bridges information theory, Bayesian cognitive modeling, and natural language processing (NLP) interpretability. University of California, Irvine Department of Language Science Language Processing Group leader His research examines how linguistic structures emerge from cognitive and communicative pressures. Key areas include dependency locality, surprisal theory in sentence processing, and efficiency-driven language evolution. He investigates how memory constraints, predictability, and information density shape syntactic and morphological patterns across languages. Recent publications analyze code-switching efficiency, syntactic priming, ERP component modeling, and agent-based language contact simulations. His work frequently employs Bayesian modeling, neural network analysis, and cross-linguistic corpora to uncover universal principles in language processing. ACL Best Paper Award (2024) Best Paper Award for Computational Modeling of Language (2023) Marr Prize for Best Student Paper (2017) He has developed datasets like SPACER for error repair analysis and contributed to phonotactic learning frameworks. His collaborations span cognitive scientists, computational linguists, and neuroscientists, advancing understanding of language production, comprehension, and structural optimization.
Alex V. Levin, M.D., M.H.Sc., serves as Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, holding the Adeline Lutz - Steven S.T. Ching, M.D. Distinguished Professorship. He concurrently holds joint appointments in the Center for Visual Science and the Department of Pediatrics, Genetics. As Chief of the Flaum Eye Institute's Pediatric Ophthalmology and Ocular Genetics team and Chief of Clinical Genetics at URMC, he leads cross-functional teams comprising ophthalmologists, optometrists, pediatric specialists, geneticists, nurses, and genetic counselors. Medical Degree: Jefferson Medical College Residency: Pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Residency: Ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital Fellowship: Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children Masters of Health Science in Bioethics: University of Toronto (2001) Dr. Levin's research spans ocular genetics and gene therapy, children's vision screening, pediatric glaucoma/cataract/uveitis, ocular manifestations of child abuse, and bioethics. His work integrates clinical expertise in pediatric anterior segment eye conditions with scientific investigation into genetic eye diseases. He maintains the only simultaneous US Board Certifications in pediatrics, ophthalmology, and child abuse pediatrics worldwide. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals predominant focus on genetic eye disorders (73%), with significant emphasis on retinal hemorrhage patterns in trauma (13%) and pediatric glaucoma (7%). His research demonstrates consistent translational application from basic science to clinical practice, particularly in ocular genetics and abusive head trauma diagnostics. Resident Guardian Award (2022) Edward A. Jaeger and John B. Jeffers Citizenship Award (2020) Albert Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) Al Biglan Medal in Pediatric Ophthalmology (2014) Ray E. Helfer Society Award for Child Abuse Research (2011) With over 35 years of experience and hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Levin has secured funding from the National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institute of Health, and private foundations. His research portfolio demonstrates exceptional continuity in pediatric ophthalmology and ocular genetics, with recent emphasis on deep learning applications for retinal hemorrhage analysis and international registry development for childhood glaucoma. He has established comprehensive vision screening programs for underserved urban populations and pioneered ethical frameworks for genetic testing in pediatric ophthalmology. Dr. Levin directs the Ocular Genetics Program at URMC, which provides multidisciplinary care through the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Ocular Genetics team. His laboratory investigations focus on nascent chromatin structure in fibrosis and protein modeling for inherited retinal diseases, with active collaborations across the Montalcino Aortic Consortium and Sturge-Weber Foundation research networks.
Mikail Rubinov serves as Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering (primary appointment), Computer Science, Psychiatry, and Psychology at Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering. His interdisciplinary work bridges computational neuroscience, network science, and clinical applications. His research focuses on integrative statistical models of large-scale neural data , exploring brain network organization across species and scales. Key interests include evolutionary principles of brain networks, transcriptomic basis of neural individuality, information transfer in neural systems, and neuropsychiatric connectivity phenotypes. The Rubinov Lab develops computational frameworks for analyzing complex neural systems and integrates neuroscientific knowledge with multi-omics data. Recent publications reveal strong trends in network neuroscience methodology development (circular analysis frameworks, unbiased sampling techniques) and translational applications (epilepsy networks, autism spectrum connectomics, gut-brain axis interrogation). His work increasingly incorporates transcriptomic data with neuroimaging at biobank scale. NIH Grant Writing Workshop (June 2022) NIH Workshop Short Talks (April 2023) Rubinov actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students across Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. His lab maintains collaborations with UCSF, HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Weizmann Institute, and international neuroscience consortia. Current projects include integrative models of large-scale neural data and transcriptomic basis of neural individuality. The Rubinov Lab operates within Vanderbilt's Department of Biomedical Engineering with extensive cross-school collaborations. Technical resources include GitHub repositories for constraint network models (cnm-code), volumetric segmentation (voluseg), and brain connectivity toolboxes.
Jozien Goense is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), holding joint appointments in the Department of Psychology and Department of Bioengineering. She is also affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the Neuroscience Program. Her primary research focuses on biomedical imaging, particularly functional MRI (fMRI) and its applications in understanding neurovascular coupling and cortical layer-specific activity. She is recognized for contributions to high-resolution fMRI methodology and laminar imaging techniques. Her work integrates advanced MRI techniques with neurophysiological studies, often using non-human primate models to validate findings in human studies. She has pioneered layer-specific fMRI approaches to map activity across cortical layers, particularly in the motor and visual cortices. Her expertise includes ultra-high field MRI (7T+), BOLD signal modeling, and software development for neuroimaging analysis (e.g., LayNII). Key research themes include the physiological basis of BOLD responses, neurovascular coupling mechanisms, and the application of laminar fMRI to study brain function in health and disease. She has collaborated extensively with neuroscientists, engineers, and clinicians to advance imaging technologies and their translational potential. Publications highlight her contributions to understanding dopamine and acetylcholine effects on neurovascular responses, resting-state gamma-band abnormalities in schizophrenia, and the development of high-resolution imaging protocols. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, including studies on vascular contributions to dementia and neuropharmacology. She has received the Beckman Seed Grant as part of a Bioengineering Faculty team, supporting innovative research initiatives. Her lab employs cutting-edge imaging tools and multidisciplinary approaches to unravel brain function at cellular and systems levels.
Brendan E. Depue, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Endowed Chair of Behavioral Brain Imaging and Neurobiology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. He also serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology. His research focuses on the neuroanatomical substrates of inhibitory and cognitive control, particularly within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), using neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and structural MRI. Depue’s work explores emotional memory regulation, PTSD, anxiety, and decision-making processes. Depue earned his Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His lab, the (N)euro(I)maging (L)aboratory of (C)ognitive, (A)ffective and (M)otoric Processes (NILCAMP), investigates how brain networks regulate cognitive, emotional, and motor functions. His research has identified key neural correlates of memory suppression in PTSD, structural covariance differences in depression, and gender-specific neural connectivity during emotion regulation. Recent publications highlight his exploration of fear learning mechanisms, neural networks underlying interoceptive awareness, and the translational potential of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in anxiety research. Depue’s interdisciplinary approach integrates clinical neuroscience with advanced imaging methodologies to address complex mental health challenges.
Sophie Caron is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, where she leads a research laboratory investigating fundamental mechanisms of brain function using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Her work focuses on how the brain generates internal representations of the external world, stores memories, and translates these into behavior through multisensory integration. Education: B.S. from Université de Montréal Ph.D. from New York University Dr. Caron's research centers on the Drosophila mushroom body—a critical brain center for learning and memory—with emphasis on multisensory integration mechanisms. Her lab investigates how the brain combines information from multiple sensory modalities (olfaction, vision, etc.) to form unified percepts, challenging traditional views of sensory processing. Key discoveries include the demonstration that mushroom body connectivity follows near-random patterns that maximize memory capacity, and the identification of cross-modal sensory pathways beyond olfaction. Current work explores evolutionary adaptations in neural circuits across Drosophila species and developmental mechanisms establishing sensory wiring. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2024) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) high-resolution mapping of Kenyon cell inputs using advanced techniques like dye electroporation, (2) computational modeling of how connectivity patterns shape sensory representation and learning, and (3) evolutionary studies of circuit architecture across Drosophila species. Her work consistently bridges experimental neuroanatomy with theoretical frameworks, emphasizing the interplay between random and structured wiring principles in neural circuit design. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2021) for research on brain size evolution and neuronal circuit adaptation Dr. Caron mentors graduate students in the University of Utah's Molecular Biology Program and directs an active laboratory utilizing genetic, imaging, and behavioral approaches. Her research program is supported by competitive grants including the NSF CAREER award, with collaborations spanning neuroscience and evolutionary biology. Current projects investigate multisensory integration mechanisms, evolutionary drivers of neural circuit specialization, and developmental basis of sensory wiring. The Caron Lab maintains specialized facilities for Drosophila neurogenetics, advanced microscopy, and behavioral analysis. Her team collaborates with the University of Utah's Brain Institute and Center for Cell and Genome Science, contributing to interdisciplinary initiatives in neural circuit mapping and evolutionary neuroscience. Ongoing work explores how sensory representations evolve in response to ecological pressures and how circuit architecture enables flexible behavior in complex environments.
Mengsen Zhang is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University (MSU) in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering and the Neuroscience Program. She bridges complex systems science, neuroscience, computational mathematics, and topological data analysis (TDA) to study brain dynamics and coordination mechanisms across scales. Education: B.S. in Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Peking University); M.S. in Criminology (University of Pennsylvania); Ph.D. in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences (Florida Atlantic University, with Drs. Emmanuelle Tognoli and J. A. Scott Kelso). Postdoctoral Training: Stanford University (with Dr. Manish Saggar) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (with Dr. Flavio Frohlich). Her research focuses on the intersection of topological data analysis and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding brain oscillations, neural networks, and social coordination dynamics. She explores how third-party interventions can stabilize or disrupt coordination in biological and social systems, using both empirical and theoretical approaches. Her recent publications (2022–2025) highlight applications of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in psychiatric disorders, metastability in brain dynamics, and novel computational methods for analyzing neural and behavioral data. These works span neuroscience, psychiatry, and computational modeling. She teaches courses such as CMSE 381: Fundamentals of Data Science Methods (MSU) and STT 381: Fundamentals of Data Science Methods, integrating computational tools into academic training.
Sebastian Cioaba is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Delaware (UD), part of the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on spectral graph theory, algebraic combinatorics, and their applications. He earned his Ph.D. from Queen’s University (2005) and joined UD in 2009 after postdoctoral work at UC San Diego and the University of Toronto. Cioaba has advised 8 Ph.D., 4 M.Sc., and numerous undergraduate researchers, with current advisees including John Byrne and Isabel Byrne. His work is supported by NSF, NSA, and international grants. Education - B.Sc. Mathematics & Computer Science, University of Bucharest (Undergraduate) - Ph.D. Mathematics, Queen’s University (2005) Research & Awards - 2024 College of Arts & Sciences Award - Co-editor of Discrete Mathematics and Linear Algebra and its Applications - Over 70 publications and two books: A Bridge to Advanced Mathematics (2023) and A First Course in Graph Theory and Combinatorics (2022, 2nd ed.) Teaching & Service - Organized conferences in discrete mathematics - Supervised over 25 undergraduate and high school students in research projects Advising - Current Ph.D. students: John Byrne, Isabel Byrne, Colby Sherwood - Notable past advisees include Vishal Gupta (Ph.D. 2025, Rochester) and Dheer Noal (Ph.D. 2022, Memphis postdoc)
Dani S. Bassett is the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor at the University of Pennsylvania with primary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering (School of Engineering and Applied Science) and secondary appointments in Physics & Astronomy, Electrical & Systems Engineering, Neurology, and Psychiatry. They serve as an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute and lead a research group focused on complex systems and network science. B.S. in Physics, Penn State University (2004) Ph.D. in Physics, University of Cambridge as Churchill Scholar and NIH Health Sciences Scholar (2009) Postdoctoral position at UC Santa Barbara and Junior Research Fellow at Sage Center for the Study of the Mind Their research integrates complex systems science, statistical mechanics, and applied mathematics to study network dynamics in physical and biological systems. Key areas include brain connectivity mechanisms, cognitive processes, neurological disease modeling, granular matter physics, and collective human curiosity. Bassett employs advanced methodologies including algebraic topology, network control theory, and multilayer network analysis to investigate how network architecture influences system function across diverse domains. Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward interdisciplinary network science applications, particularly in modeling human curiosity through Wikipedia navigation patterns and analyzing brain network reconfiguration during cognitive development. Their work bridges physics, neuroscience, and behavioral science with emphasis on topological network properties and dynamical processes. American Psychological Association's Rising Star (2012) MacArthur Fellow Genius Grant (2014) Lagrange Prize in Complex Systems Science (2017) Erdos-Renyi Prize in Network Science (2018) American Physical Society Fellow (2021) Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (3 consecutive years) Bassett's research is supported by major agencies including NSF, NIH, DoD, ONR, and private foundations (MacArthur, Sloan, Paul Allen). Their lab actively recruits students from physics, engineering, neuroscience, and computer science backgrounds, emphasizing diversity in academic perspectives. Current projects include the 'Curious Minds' initiative exploring collective knowledge building and network-based models of neurological disorders. Bassett co-authored the MIT Press book 'Curious Minds: The Power of Connection' with philosopher Perry Zurn.
Chet C. Sherwood is a Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University (GW) and a core faculty member of the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology (CASHP). He also directs the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource and is affiliated with the GW Mind-Brain Institute. His research focuses on evolutionary neuroscience, particularly brain evolution in primates and other mammals, emphasizing how brain structure relates to behavior, development, and genetics. Education: Ph.D. (2003), M.A. (1998, 1996), and B.A. (1995) from Columbia University, with an additional M.A. from New York University (1996). Teaches courses such as ANTH 1001: Biological Anthropology and ANTH 3413: Evolution of the Human Brain. Research interests include comparative neuroanatomy of the cerebral cortex, human brain evolution relative to other primates, and the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cognitive evolution. He explores how brain differences across species correlate with ecological and behavioral traits, leveraging neuroimaging, transcriptomics, and fossil reconstruction techniques. Recent work investigates aging-related brain changes in primates and elephants. Notable achievements include membership in the National Academy of Sciences (2021) and the AAAS Fellowship (2022). His lab’s studies on chimpanzee brain plasticity and the genetic basis of primate cognition have advanced understanding of human uniqueness and shared evolutionary traits. Chet’s interdisciplinary collaborations span paleontology, genomics, and neuroscience, with a focus on bridging evolutionary and medical insights. His leadership in the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource underscores his commitment to advancing comparative neurobiology through resource development and ethical research practices.
Professor Ahmad Hariri is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University, part of the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He holds affiliations with the Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, and the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. His research integrates neuroimaging, pharmacology, and molecular genetics to study biological pathways underlying individual differences in behavior and psychopathology risk. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology from UCLA (2000), M.S. and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park (1997, 1994). Research interests include understanding how genetic and environmental factors influence brain function and behavior, with a focus on psychopathology, stress, and resilience. His work explores neural correlates of traits like psychopathy, childhood adversity effects on brain structure, and biomarkers of aging. Recent studies highlight links between lead exposure and neurodegeneration, neighborhood disadvantage and dementia risk, and the role of brain connectivity in self-regulation. Key achievements include over 200 publications, including high-impact papers in Nature Aging , Neuron , and Biological Psychiatry . Honors include the APA Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution (2009) and being named a Highly Cited Researcher (2014). Grants include leadership roles in the Duke-NCCU Postdoctoral Training Program in Child Psychiatric Conditions and the Duke Psychiatry Physician-Scientist Residency Program. He has contributed to editorial boards of journals like Cortex and Biology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders . Professional activities include mentoring in the Summer Neuroscience Program and serving as a Bass Connections Faculty Team Leader.
