Mackenzie Mathis

Mackenzie Mathis is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Bertarelli Foundation Chair of Integrative Neuroscience at the Brain Mind Institute (BMI) of EPFL. She leads the UPMWMATHIS Lab, focusing on understanding neural circuits underlying adaptive behavior and developing AI tools like DeepLabCut and CEBRA. Her work bridges machine learning and neuroscience, with expertise in systems neuroscience, animal behavior, and computer vision.

Education:

• PhD in Neuroscience, Harvard University (2017)

Research Interests: Her lab explores motor learning, sensorimotor control, and neural dynamics. Key tools include markerless pose estimation (DeepLabCut), latent embedding analysis (CEBRA), and generative AI for behavioral studies. Projects span from mouse behavior assays to ethical AI applications in conservation.

Publications: Recent work includes advancements in robust ML systems, pre-trained pose models (SuperAnimal), and neural-latent dynamics analysis. Her lab’s tools are widely adopted in neuroscience and robotics.

Awards:

• Swiss Science Latsis Prize (2024)
• Eric Kandel Young Neuroscientist Prize (2023)
• FENS EJN Young Investigator Prize (2022)
• Vallee Scholar & ELLIS Scholar

Advising & Grants: Current PhD students include Célia Benquet, Hossein Mirzaei, and others. Grants include SNSF Starting Grant (1.5M CHF) and CZI funding for open-source tools. Collaborates with robotics and conservation initiatives.

Labs & Teams: The UPMWMATHIS Lab at EPFL Biotech Campus integrates computational and experimental neuroscience. Tools like AmadeusGPT and CEBRA are developed here, supported by interdisciplinary teams.