Computational Neuroscience
Jason Bohland
Department: Department of Health Services
Website: http://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/faculty/health-science-program/jason-bohland/
Department: Cognitive & Neural Systems and Psychology
Website: http://cns-web.bu.edu/Profiles/Bullock.html
Research: Neural Models of Voluntary Action and Reinforcement Learning; Neural Models of Sensory-Motor Learning, Procedural Memory, & Performance; Neural Models of Adaptive Timing, Serial Order Coding, & Competitive Queuing; Neural Models of Local Circuits and Intracellular Dynamics; Neural Models of Basal Ganglia, Frontal Cortex, Cerebellum, & Spinal Cord; Social Cognition & Cognitive Convergence Rate.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment of at least two semesters (including summers) and have prior experience working in a lab. Prerequisities include calculus and programming (Matlab may be applicable for programming experience). Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP or for senior distinction. Techniques exposed to and learned include computational modeling and psychophysics.
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Gail Carpenter
Department: Cognitive & Neural Systems
Website: http://profusion.bu.edu/techlab/members/gail/
Research: Defining a novel approach to information fusion, showing how a neural model based on cognitive learning principles can derive consistent knowledge from sources that are paradoxically both inconsistent and accurate, as when a young child hears the family pet variously called Spot, puppy, dog, dalmatian, mammal, and animal. Even though no inter-class relationships, links, or probabilities are provided during training, a distributed learning system derives knowledge of relationship rules, confidence estimates, equivalence classes, and hierarchical structures. Other aspects of her research include the development, computational analysis, and application of neural models of vision, synaptic transmission, and circadian rhythms.
Working in the lab: Research techniques learned include: computational modeling
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Michael Cohen
Department: Cognitive & Neural Systems
Website: http://cnsweb.bu.edu/Profiles/Cohen.html
Research: Speech and language processing, measurement theory, neural modeling, dynamical systems, art.
Working in the lab: Research techniques include: computational modeling
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Steven Colburn
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Website: http://www.bu.edu/bme/people/primary/colburn/
Research: Dr. Colburn is particularly interested in the measurement and modeling of binaural hearing performance. Specific current topics include modeling the activity of auditory brainstem neurons and measurement and modeling of spatial attributes of sound perception, speech intelligibility in complex sound environments, and the effects of hearing impairments on binaural abilities. Dr. Colburn’s research involves the application of signal processing, statistical communication theory, and computational modeling to the study of hearing and hearing impairments.
Working in the lab: Research techniques include: computational modeling
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Steven Grossberg
Department: Cognitive & Neural Systems
Website: http://cns-web.bu.edu/Profiles/Grossberg/
Research: Developing brain models of vision and visual object recognition; audition, speech, and language; development; attentive learning and memory; cognitive information processing; reinforcement learning and motivation; cognitive-emotional interactions; navigation; sensory-motor control and robotics; and mental disorders. These models involve many parts of the brain, ranging from perception to action, and multiple levels of brain organization, ranging from individual spikes and their synchronization to cognition. Analyses of the mathematical dynamics of neural systems are also carried out, and transfer biological neural models to applications in neuromorphic engineering and technology.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment based on goals and discussion with the lab PI and have prior experience working in a lab or with modeling. Prerequisities include modeling. Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP or for senior distinction, dependent on discussion with lab PI. Techniques exposed to and learned include computational modeling.
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Frank Guenther
Department: Cognitive & Neural Systems
Website: http://www.cns.bu.edu/~guenther/
Research: Professor Guenther is a computational and cognitive neuroscientist specializing in speech and sensorimotor control. His research combines theoretical modeling with behavioral and neuroimaging experiments to characterize the neural computations underlying these faculties in humans. He is also involved in the development of speech prostheses that utilize brain-computer interfaces to restore synthetic speech to paralyzed individuals.
Working in the lab: Students must make a commitment of at least two semesters (including summers) and have prior experience working in a lab. Prerequisities include calculus and computer programming (preferably Matlab). Students may work in this lab as a part of UROP. Techniques exposed to and learned include computational modeling, neural prostheses, and neuroimaging.
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Jason Ritt
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Website: https://www.bu.edu/eng/p