John earned his bachelor's degree in physics and math from the
University of Kentucky and his PhD in physics from Princeton. He became a
neuroscientist at Duke, where he did his postdoctoral training with Michael
Platt, working on the neurobiology of reward and decision-making. From 2015 to
2018, he was an Assistant Research Professor in the Duke Institute for Brain
Sciences. In 2018, he moved back to the School of Medicine as an Assistant
Professor in the Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, and in 2022, he moved to the
Department of Neurobiology. In addition, he maintains secondary
appointments in the departments of Biostatics & Bioinformatics, Psychology & Neuroscience, and Electrical
and Computer Engineering. (cv)
After earning a BA in
psychology and economics from New York University, Seth completed his PhD in
Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania where he used computational
methods to glean new insights into the social behavior of non-human primates.
His research interests include reproducible research practices and the
application of probabilistic machine learning to understanding complex
behavior, and he currently works on models for evidence integration in
subjective legal judgements. His non-scientific activities include biking,
reading Victorian novels with his wife, and attempting to appreciate jazz.
Scott is a triple Deac, having earned his bachelor's degree in biophysics,
master's degree in biomedical sciences and PhD in neuroscience, all from
Wake Forest University. His PhD work focused on how the ability to integrate
information across the senses at the perceptual and neural levels is shaped by
sensory experience, and how sensory training paradigms can be used to correct
multisensory processing defects resulting from anomalous development. His current
research focuses on combining data from multiple sources to inform the development
of theories that link the brain and behavior at multiple scales. Outside of the
lab, he enjoys playing tennis, and soccer, and keeping up with the latest TV dramas.
Psychology & Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate
Pranjal is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Psychology & Neuroscience department at Duke. He obtained
his bachelor's degree in Computational Biology from the University of
Maryland, College Park, where his undergraduate research involved developing statistical and neural network models of retinal ganglion cell function under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Butts.
His current research focuses on online and real-time computational modeling of the activity of large populations of neurons. Away from a computer, Pranjal
enjoys meditation and walking in the gardens.
CNAP Graduate Student
Kevin is a fifth-year graduate student in
the CNAP program at Duke. He received a BS in Cognitive Science and Computer
Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he worked with Dr. Selmer
Bringsjord on developing human-like formal reasoning systems. Later, he worked
as a Computer Scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory under Dr. Paul Bello
developing cognitive models to capture mechanisms involved in perception,
memory, attention, and reasoning. At Duke, studying jointly with Felipe De
Brigard, Kevin's research now focuses on the processes underlying causal
reasoning and other forms of inference. Outside the lab, Kevin enjoys playing
the bass, cooking, and biking.
MD-PhD student
Daniela is a
student at Duke's MD-PhD program. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience from
Duke and wrote a senior thesis on the mechanisms of attention and
working memory while working under Dr. Marty Woldorff. Before coming back
to Duke, she was a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the NIMH, where she
worked on developing computational screening methods for genomic and imaging
biomarkers of working memory deficits in schizophrenia. As a first year ECE
graduate student at Duke, she is interested in applying statistical machine-learning
methods to model brain imaging data. When not in front of a computer, she loves to surf,
read and hike.
Trevor is a fifth-year Neurobiology graduate student at Duke University.
He holds two Biomedical Engineering Degrees; he received his BS degree from Rutgers University and his MS degree from Northwestern University.
His research interest is in Neuroengineering and brain-related technologies. Outside of the lab he likes hanging out with friends, playing games, and watching TV.
Raphael is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke. He graduated from UC Davis with a double major in Neurobiology and Psychology in 2017. Before coming to Duke in 2019, he worked with Dr. Marjorie Solomon at the UC Davis MIND Institute studying cognitive control developed in teens with autism. Raphael is interested in how cognitive control demand expectations are learned in and transferred between environments, and how competing expectations interact with each other. He explores these questions with a combination of behavioral, computational, and neuroimaging techniques. Outside the lab he enjoys cycling, board games, reading, and rock climbing.
Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD Candidate
Miles is a fourth-year graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
He entered Duke through the CNAP program. He currently develops and applies computational methods to
understand the neural bases of natural learning. When not doing
research, he loves getting outside and hiking or rock climbing - unless it's
too cold, in which case you can find him indoors cooking or playing games.
Neurobiology Ph.D. Candidate
Liz is a sixth-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Neurobiology. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF). She is also working toward a concurrent M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering concentrating in Data Analytics and Machine Learning. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology with a minor in Ethics from Oxford College and Emory College of Emory University where she worked with Dr. Donald (Tig) Rainnie and Dr. Gordon Berman. At Duke, she previously worked with Dr. Kafui Dzirasa and Dr. David Carlson. She is interested in applying computational and quantitative methods to study adaptive behaviors. Outside of lab, she builds and fixes bikes.
Neurobiology Graduate Student
David is a first-year graduate student in Neurobiology. He graduated from McGill University, where he received his BS in Psychology and his MS in Neuroscience. His research investigates how efficient coding models can help us understand how information is computed in the retina. Outside the lab, he likes to work out and play games.
Electrical and Computer Engineering Master Student
Shiyang is a graduate student in Electrical & Computer Engineering at Duke.
She received her Bsc in Applied Mathematics from University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
Her research focuses on developing computational models and real-time methods to understand the activity of large-scale neural populations.
When not doing research she enjoys music, reading, and creative writing.