Alan Stocker is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the Neuroscience Graduate Group, Bioengineering Graduate Group, and Computational Neuroscience Initiative. His research focuses on understanding how prior beliefs and expectations shape visual perception, combining theoretical models with psychophysical and physiological experiments. Key areas include optimal inference frameworks, neural coding efficiency, and decision-making under uncertainty. Education: PhD in Physics (ETH Zurich, 2002); MSc in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science (ETH Zurich, 1995). Prior appointments include postdoctoral work at New York University and ETH Zurich. Research Interests: Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception. Specific projects explore statistical properties of visual environments, subjective expectations from past decisions, and neural computations underlying perception. Advising: Current advisees include Cheng Qiu (Postdoc), Ansh Soni, and Mengting Fang (Graduate Students). Courses taught: Perception, Visual Neuroscience, and Probabilistic Models in Perception and Cognition. Labs/Teams: Leads the Computational Perception and Cognition (CPC) Laboratory, emphasizing theory-driven experimentation. Collaborates widely across disciplines including bioengineering and electrical systems engineering.
Masaki Nishida is a Professor at the Faculty of Sport Sciences , Waseda University, and Vice President of the Health Support Center at the same institution. He also serves as Chief of the Sleep Research Institute . His research bridges Sleep Science , Sports Medicine , and Clinical Psychiatry , with a focus on the interplay between sleep, cognitive function, and athletic performance. Education: Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Faculty of Medicine (1996) His work has significantly advanced understanding of napping interventions for athletes, sleep quality in competitive divers, and neurophysiological mechanisms linking sleep spindles to memory consolidation. Current research projects include a 2024-2027 study on functional bedding effects funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Scientific awards include the 15th Japanese Society of Sleep Research Encouragement Award (2010) and the 88th Japanese Society for Occupational Health Award (2015). His publications span topics like REM sleep's role in emotional memory , sleep inertia , and motor adaptation , with recent emphasis on international sports psychiatry standards . He actively contributes to professional societies including the Japanese Association of Sports Psychiatry (Chairman) and Society for Neuroscience .
Dr. Sabine Krabbe is a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany, where she leads research on neural circuit mechanisms underlying adaptive learning and state-dependent decision-making. Her work integrates neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral approaches to understand how internal states influence behavior and how these processes are disrupted in neurological disorders. Dr. Krabbe's research focuses on the interactions between midbrain circuits of the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area with their output structures such as the striatum and amygdala. She investigates how these networks integrate internal states with environmental cues to produce appropriate behavioral responses. Her laboratory employs state-of-the-art techniques including deep-brain calcium imaging at single-cell resolution in mice, opto- and pharmacogenetic manipulations, anatomical tracings, and molecular approaches to characterize neural circuit elements in detail. Her recent publications reveal significant insights into amygdala interneuron plasticity during fear learning, brain-wide representational drift in memory consolidation, and the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease progression. Her work demonstrates how activity patterns within specific neural circuits change in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases and how this dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits and emotional disturbances. Dr. Krabbe is actively involved in the neuroscience community, organizing the BonnBrain Conference 2026 and sharing research through social media platforms. She has established herself as an emerging leader in the field of systems neuroscience with a particular focus on the neural basis of emotional states and decision-making processes.
David Melcher is Professor of Psychology and Program Head in Psychology at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where he also serves as a Global Network Professor. He is affiliated with the Division of Science and leads the Perception and Active Cognition Lab, focusing on the integration of perception, attention, memory, and action within a cognitive neuroscience framework. PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science, Rutgers University (2001) Former researcher and professor in Italy and the UK Current leadership: Program Head, Psychology, NYUAD David Melcher's research centers on cognitive neuroscience , particularly how perception, attention, working memory, eye movements, and self-motion interact to shape cognition and behavior. His lab emphasizes active cognition —the idea that perception is not passive but dynamically shaped by action, context, and goals. He investigates how temporal dynamics in neural processing organize perceptual experiences and guide decision-making. His work spans both healthy and clinical populations, exploring individual differences in spatial and temporal processing across the lifespan. The 15 most recent publications reflect a consistent focus on temporal organization in cognition , perception-action coupling , and neural mechanisms of attention and memory . Keywords across these works include cognitive neuroscience, perception, and neuroimaging, with subfields ranging from eye movement research and neural synchrony to computational modeling and clinical neuropsychology. Collectively, they demonstrate a trajectory toward integrative models of brain function that bridge behavioral, neuroimaging, and computational approaches. Among his notable recognitions is the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association (2011), highlighting the early impact of his work in cognitive neuroscience. Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology, APA (2011) David Melcher has advised numerous students through capstone projects in psychology and computer science, fostering interdisciplinary research at the intersection of cognitive science and technology. His research has been generously supported by major funding agencies including the European Research Council , the US National Institutes of Health , the Italian Ministry of Research and Education , and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Expert Affairs . He also contributes to the academic community as a member of the editorial boards of Journal of Vision , Psychonomic Bulletin & Review , Perception , and iPerception . He leads the Perception and Active Cognition Lab at NYUAD, which employs a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioral experiments, neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG, MEG), eye-tracking, computational modeling, and clinical assessments. The lab’s research aims to understand how the brain constructs stable percepts from dynamic sensory input, particularly during active engagement with the environment.
Stefano Fusi is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, with joint affiliations at the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Kavli Institute. His laboratory focuses on computational modeling of neural circuits and neuromorphic engineering. Education PhD in Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999) BS in Physics, Sapienza University of Rome (1992) Research Focus Fusi investigates how biological complexity supports neural computation through three primary domains: theoretical analysis of neural circuit dynamics, representational geometry in learning systems, and hardware implementations of brain-inspired algorithms. His work bridges machine learning, neurophysiology, and theoretical physics, emphasizing high-dimensional representations and memory optimization. Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on neural coding principles across hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and sensory systems, with innovations in modeling working memory, stress responses, and cross-species computational paradigms. Collaborations & Labs Leads an interdisciplinary laboratory collaborating with Columbia experimental neuroscientists, MIT engineers, and Stanford computational researchers to validate theoretical models. Current projects include neuromorphic hardware development and neural decoding of emotional states.
Professor Guy Williams is a leading academic at the University of Cambridge with a focus on imaging science and clinical neurosciences, affiliated with Downing College and the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre . Holding a PhD in Physics from his initial Natural Sciences degree, he specializes in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and MRI techniques for brain imaging. Education: BA, PhD in Physics His research centers on non-invasive imaging of brain structure and function, particularly in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and dementia. His work involves developing novel MRI pulse sequences and advanced data analysis algorithms, including AI-based diagnostic tools. He leads studies on white matter integrity post-trauma, longitudinal dementia assessment, and applications of MRI in disorders of consciousness and addiction. Recent publications highlight collaborations in traumatic brain injury outcomes, AI-guided dementia prediction, and neuroimaging of post-COVID cognitive deficits. His team's work on ultra-high field laminar fMRI and distortion correction methods has advanced clinical neuroscience applications. Key techniques include diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), 7 Tesla MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET/MR). His research spans from basic NMR physics to clinical translation, with a strong emphasis on multi-site studies and real-world diagnostic implementation.
Chang S. (CS) Nam is a Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University, with affiliations in the UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Psychology. He holds editorial roles as Editor-in-Chief of Brain-Computer Interfaces journal and is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. His research focuses on advancing human-centered technologies through neuroergonomics, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and rehabilitation engineering, supported by grants from NSF, AFRL, AFOSR, and the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences. Education: Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, Virginia Tech (2003) MSIE in Industrial Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo (2000) Research Interests: His work spans neurorehabilitation, haptic interaction design, and BCI applications, aiming to bridge human cognitive and neural processes with technological systems. Key areas include adaptive human-computer interaction, EEG-based emotion recognition, and spatial augmented reality for skill training. Grants & Awards: Recipient of NSF CAREER Award (2010), Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship (2018), and the Leland S. Kollmorgen Spirit of Innovation Award (2019) Editor of Brain-Computer Interfaces Handbook: Technological and Theoretical Advances (CRC Press) Advising & Labs: Advises students like Lingchao Mao and Priscille Koutouan Leads the Brain-Computer Interface and Neuroergonomics Lab, developing BCI systems for communication in vegetative states and neurorehabilitation
Omer Bayraktar is a Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute , leading research in the Cellular Genomics Programme. His work focuses on decoding human brain cellular diversity using spatial transcriptomics , imaging , and functional screening to study neural complexity in health and disease. Bayraktar's educational background includes a PhD from HHMI under Chris Doe, investigating neural diversity development in Drosophila , followed by postdoctoral work at University of California, San Francisco and University of Cambridge as a Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellow. He developed a spatial transcriptomic pipeline during his postdoc to analyze astrocyte heterogeneity in the cerebral cortex. His research explores neural cell type mapping , glial-neuronal interactions , and cellular pathways in neurodevelopmental disorders . Recent publications emphasize 3D tissue mapping , multi-omic integration , and computational tools like Cell2fate and WebAtlas. His work bridges neurogenetics and computational biology to advance understanding of human tissue ecosystems. Bayraktar's lab collaborates with the Human Cell Atlas initiative and develops technologies such as automated histology pipelines and highly-multiplexed smFISH for molecular cell typing. His team also investigates glia-based therapies and astrocyte functional heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental contexts. Key scientific contributions include: Discovering astrocyte layer patterns independent of neuronal laminae Developing cell2location for spatial cell mapping Characterizing Drosophila neural stem cell models with human relevance Notable awards include the Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellowship during his postdoctoral training. His current group includes a PhD student , Senior Data Scientists , and Bioinformaticians .
Suresh Krishna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on the neurophysiological and computational basis of sensory processing, attention, and eye movements, with applications to brain-machine interfaces and human health. He works with human subjects, non-human primates, and open datasets using in-vivo electrophysiology, eye-tracking, and computational modeling. Research interests include visual attention mechanisms, saccadic eye movement control, neural coding of motion perception, and the interplay between attention and decision-making. His work bridges basic neuroscience with translational applications such as improving neural prosthetics and understanding perceptual disorders. Recent work highlights how neural remapping processes during saccades underlie spatial perception, and how attention modulates neural activity patterns in visual cortex. The lab's publications reveal critical insights into the temporal dynamics of attentional shifts and their neural substrates, particularly in areas MT and MST. Dr. Krishna's team also investigates auditory temporal processing in the inferior colliculus, exploring correlations between neuronal responses to sound modulation. Their findings contribute to understanding how sensory systems encode temporal information across modalities. Research is conducted in the M2B3 Lab (http://m2b3.lab.mcgill.ca), which integrates experimental and computational approaches to study brain mechanisms underlying perception and action. No specific awards are listed, but ongoing work involves major contributions to primate neurophysiology and translational neuroscience.
Professor Julie Harris is a faculty member at the University of St Andrews, holding the position of Professor of Psychology within the School of Psychology and Neuroscience since 2005. She previously held academic posts at Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in California. Her research focuses on human visual processing, including vision and camouflage, depth perception, binocular stereopsis, and eye movements in natural environments. She earned a BSc in Physics from Imperial College London and a DPhil from Oxford University. Research interests include exploring how visual systems process environmental cues for depth and motion, with applications in camouflage design and stereo display technologies. Her lab employs psychophysical, behavioral, and computational methods. Notable projects address countershading camouflage effectiveness, motion-in-depth perception, and visual-motor interactions in driving scenarios. Selected grants include funding from BBSRC, Leverhulme Trust, and Medical Research Scotland. Collaborations span evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and applied vision science. She supervises PhD students Federico De Filippi and Rebecca Maguire. Awards include the Davida Teller Award Nomination and Fellowship in the Society of Biology. Labs/Teams: Julie Harris Lab (St Andrews), St Andrews Vision Labs, and the Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences. Current projects investigate warning signal design, visual perception in virtual environments, and the impact of visual processing on driving ability.
Professor Dirk Bernhardt-Walther is an academic at the University of Toronto, serving as Program Director of the Cognitive Science Program and Department of Psychology . He investigates neural and computational mechanisms underlying high-level sensory perception, focusing on real-world scenes, mid-level vision, and visual aesthetics. Education: PhD in Computation and Neural Systems (Caltech, 2006), M.Phil (University of Cambridge) Research Focus: His lab employs fMRI, MEG, EEG , and GAN-generated stimuli to study scene categorization, perceptual organization, and aesthetic processing. Recent work explores curvature perception, emotion representation in scenes, and neural dissociations between computational and subjective visual metrics. Laboratory Members: The Bernhardt-Walther Lab includes PhD students like Gaeun Son (scene perception), Charlotte Leferink (scene representation), and Dela Farzanfar (aesthetic processing), alongside postdocs and collaborators. Advising: Supervises graduate students in projects combining computational modeling, psychophysics, and neuroimaging, particularly those with backgrounds in computer science or cognitive neuroscience.
Risto Miikkulainen is a Professor of Computer Science and Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin and VP of AI Research at Cognizant AI Lab. He directs the UTCS Neural Networks Research Group and is currently on leave from UT, working on Evolutionary Computation and Deep Learning at Sentient Technologies, Inc. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, UCLA, 1990 M.S. in Applied Mathematics, Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University), 1986 Risto Miikkulainen's research focuses on biologically-inspired computation such as neural networks and evolutionary computation. His work spans three main areas: (1) Neuroevolution, evolving complex deep learning architectures and recurrent neural networks for sequential decision tasks in robotics, games, and artificial life; (2) Cognitive Science, developing models of natural language processing, memory, and learning that shed light on disorders such as schizophrenia and aphasia; and (3) Computational Neuroscience, studying the development, structure, and function of the visual cortex, episodic memory, and language processing. His research combines theoretical understanding of biological information processing with practical applications for developing intelligent artificial systems. His recent publications (2025) show a strong focus on evolutionary approaches to AI development, particularly in neural architecture search, loss function optimization, and explainable AI. Many papers explore the intersection of evolutionary computation with deep learning, creating more efficient and transparent AI systems. His work spans theoretical foundations and practical applications in areas ranging from environmental control systems to cognitive modeling. Scientific Awards: College of Fellows, International Neural Network Society, 2024 Best Pathway to Impact Award, NeurIPS Climate Change workshop, 2024 AAAI Fellow, 2023 IEEE CIS Evolutionary Computation Pioneer Award, 2020 Gabor Award, International Neural Network Society, 2017 Outstanding Paper of the Decade Award, International Society for Artificial Life, 2017 IEEE Fellow, 2016 Multiple Best Paper Awards at GECCO, CIG, and CEC conferences Deployed Application Award, AAAI/IAAI-2013, AAAI/IAAI-2018 Miikkulainen has extensive experience mentoring students through undergraduate research courses like CS378 Computational Intelligence in Game Design I and II, where students develop independent research projects on the OpenNERO research platform. He has received multiple awards for deployed applications, demonstrating the practical impact of his research. His work has led to the development of the NERO game platform, which serves as both an educational tool and research platform for AI. He directs the UTCS Neural Networks Research Group, which focuses on neuroevolution, cognitive science models, and computational neuroscience. The group has developed the NERO (Neuro-Evolving Robotic Operatives) platform, a machine learning game that allows users to train intelligent agents through evolutionary computation. The group's work spans theoretical research and practical applications in AI, with connections to both academic and industry partners.
Zion Zibly, MD, MBA is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine . He holds multiple leadership roles including Director of the Center of Neuromodulation , Director of the Center of Neurosurgical Cancer Pain , and Head of Stereotactic & Functional Neurosurgery and the Focused Ultrasound Institute . Previously served as Chair of Neurosurgery at Sheba Medical Center after graduating from Technion’s Faculty of Medicine (MD) and Coller School of Management (MBA). Research Interests: Specializes in Neuromodulation for movement disorders (Parkinson’s, tremors, dystonia), Deep Brain Stimulation , Gene Therapy for pediatric neurodegenerative conditions, Oncological Neurosurgery , and Neurological Pain Management . Combines Functional Neurosurgery with Focused Ultrasound technology. Scientific Contributions: Participated in pioneering Alzheimer’s brain stimulator procedures and Gene Therapy applications. Active member of the North American Association of Functional Neurosurgery and Israeli Neurosurgical Society . Clinical Expertise: Implantation of electrostimulators for Parkinson’s and essential tremor, treatment of Benign/Malignant CNS Tumors , and management of Neurological Pain Conditions . Affiliated with Yale Cancer Center and Center for Brain & Mind Health .
Dr. Naseem Choudhury is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Ramapo College of New Jersey, affiliated with the School of Social Science and Human Services (SSHS). She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Vermont. Her research focuses on the neural basis of infant information processing, particularly how perceptual abilities influence typical and atypical development, with an emphasis on familial and sociocultural factors. Her work spans auditory processing in infants at risk for developmental language disorders, electrophysiological studies in children with autism, and cross-cultural analyses of artistic perception. She directs the Palestroni Integrated Neuroscience Lab, exploring neural mechanisms underlying cognitive development. Dr. Choudhury has published extensively in journals like Journal of Neuroscience and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience , with over 50 peer-reviewed articles since 2002. Her studies often involve ERP and EEG methodologies to track developmental milestones and intervention efficacy in high-risk populations. Her research demonstrates that early auditory experiences shape prelinguistic acoustic mapping and that neuroplasticity interventions improve outcomes for language-impaired children. She collaborates internationally on projects linking sensory perception to linguistic outcomes, particularly in Italian and bilingual populations. Dr. Choudhury’s contributions bridge basic neuroscience and clinical applications, emphasizing early screening and preventive strategies for developmental disorders.
Hakwan Lau is a tenured Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he is also a member of the Brain Research Institute. Additionally, he serves as Co-Director of the IBS Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research in South Korea, leading the Systems and Intervention Neuroscience (SIN) group. His work spans consciousness, metacognition, and perceptual reality monitoring, employing advanced neuroimaging and computational techniques. Education: Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hakwan Lau pursued graduate studies in England. He was previously an Associate Professor at Columbia University in New York before moving to UCLA, where he is now tenured. From 2017-2020, he was primarily based at the University of Hong Kong. Research Interests: Lau's lab investigates why we have subjective experiences , focusing on visual awareness, spatial attention, and metacognition. They use fMRI, decoded neurofeedback (DecNef), psychophysics, and computational modeling to explore how conscious perception arises and its clinical applications, such as treating phobias and PTSD. Research Trends: His recent work emphasizes decoded neurofeedback interventions for clinical conditions like phobias and PTSD, metacognitive mechanisms underlying confidence judgments, and neural correlates of subjective experience . The research bridges theoretical neuroscience with practical therapeutic applications, often using innovative techniques like closed-loop fMRI. Scientific Awards: While specific awards are not listed in the provided text, Lau has mentored 15 former trainees who are now independent PIs , reflecting his significant impact on the field. Advising and Grants: Lau actively advises numerous PhD students and postdocs across UCLA, the University of Hong Kong, and collaborative institutions. His lab supports projects ranging from AI-driven fMRI analysis to clinical neurofeedback trials . Labs and Teams: Lau leads the Metacognition and Consciousness Lab at UCLA, now relocated to the RIKEN Center for Brain Science near Tokyo. His team includes researchers from diverse backgrounds, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to consciousness and metacognition.
