CMC lab
Computational Machinery of Cognition (CMC) lab focuses on understanding the computational and neural machinery of goal-driven behavior | PI: @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social | shervinsafavi.github.io/cmclab/
- Reposted by CMC labBuilt a domain-agnostic peak detection algorithm and now hunting for datasets with known/annotated peaks to test it on 👀 Any domain works—signals,bio,astro,finance, spectroscopy, etc. Got data or know a benchmark? Would love pointers 🙌 #SignalProcessing #DataScience #TimeSeries #OpenData #Research
- For the first Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social in 2026, @marcusghosh.bsky.social on Jan 15, Thu, 2pm CET, will tell us about his recent paper (👇) [joint work w/ @neural-reckoning.org]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- How does the structure of a neural circuit shape its function? @neuralreckoning.bsky.social & I explore this in our new preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025... 🤖🧠🧪 🧵1/9
- Reposted by CMC labHow does the structure of a neural circuit shape its function? @neuralreckoning.bsky.social & I explore this in our new preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025... 🤖🧠🧪 🧵1/9
- Reposted by CMC labWanna compare dynamics across neural data, RNNs, or dynamical systems? We got a fast and furious method🏎️ The 1st preprint of my PhD 🥳 fast dynamical similarity analysis (fastDSA): 📜: arxiv.org/abs/2511.22828 💻: github.com/CMC-lab/fast... I’ll be @cosynemeeting.bsky.social - happy to chat 😉
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View full threadReposted by CMC labWe made DSA up to 150 times faster 🤯 by introducing 3 new optimization objectives and solvers to speed up the DSA alignment step. Instead of enforcing exact orthogonality at every iteration, we use faster formulations that approximate or penalize the constraint.
- Reposted by CMC labIf you need an efficient tool to compare neural dynamics across neuroscience and AI, look no further!
- Wanna compare dynamics across neural data, RNNs, or dynamical systems? We got a fast and furious method🏎️ The 1st preprint of my PhD 🥳 fast dynamical similarity analysis (fastDSA): 📜: arxiv.org/abs/2511.22828 💻: github.com/CMC-lab/fast... I’ll be @cosynemeeting.bsky.social - happy to chat 😉
- Reposted by CMC labThrilled to see the first preprint of the lab out 🤩 Check it out if you need to compare dynamics in your data and RNN (or any other combinations of dynamical systems)!
- Wanna compare dynamics across neural data, RNNs, or dynamical systems? We got a fast and furious method🏎️ The 1st preprint of my PhD 🥳 fast dynamical similarity analysis (fastDSA): 📜: arxiv.org/abs/2511.22828 💻: github.com/CMC-lab/fast... I’ll be @cosynemeeting.bsky.social - happy to chat 😉
- Reposted by CMC labThis is very cool. Much faster DSA. Although we still don't know what DSA findings actually mean about brains.
- Wanna compare dynamics across neural data, RNNs, or dynamical systems? We got a fast and furious method🏎️ The 1st preprint of my PhD 🥳 fast dynamical similarity analysis (fastDSA): 📜: arxiv.org/abs/2511.22828 💻: github.com/CMC-lab/fast... I’ll be @cosynemeeting.bsky.social - happy to chat 😉
- Wanna compare dynamics across different systems? See our fast and furious method developed by us (@armanbehrad.bsky.social @mmdtaha.bsky.social, @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social) together with our wonderful collaborators! You can already use our code: github.com/CMC-lab/fast...
- Wanna compare dynamics across neural data, RNNs, or dynamical systems? We got a fast and furious method🏎️ The 1st preprint of my PhD 🥳 fast dynamical similarity analysis (fastDSA): 📜: arxiv.org/abs/2511.22828 💻: github.com/CMC-lab/fast... I’ll be @cosynemeeting.bsky.social - happy to chat 😉
- Reposted by CMC labThis work couldn’t have happened without my wonderful collaborators: @neurostrow.bsky.social and Ila Fiete (master minds behind the original DSA), @mmdtaha.bsky.social, Christian Beste, and @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social ; and support from the @cmc-lab.bsky.social .
- Reposted by CMC labJust published in JOSS: 'TranCIT: Transient Causal Interaction Toolbox' doi.org/10.21105/joss.09302
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Dec 4, Thu, 2pm CET), @hritz.bsky.social will tell us about his recent paper (👇) [joint work w/ Jonathan Cohen lab]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- We put out this preprint a couple months ago, but I really wanted to replicate our findings before we went to publication. At first, what we found was very confusing! But when we dug in, it revealed a fascinating neural strategy for how we switch between tasks doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.29.615736 🧵
- Reposted by CMC labWe put out this preprint a couple months ago, but I really wanted to replicate our findings before we went to publication. At first, what we found was very confusing! But when we dug in, it revealed a fascinating neural strategy for how we switch between tasks doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.29.615736 🧵
- 🎉New project 🎉 doi.org/10.1101/2024... How do we navigate between brain states when we switch tasks? Are dynamics driven by control, or passive decay of the prev task? We shed light on this classic debate by comparing high-d linear dynamical systems fit to EEGs and RNNs during task-switching 🌀
- Reposted by CMC labVery much looking forward to this exciting lineup! Also excited about presenting our work on how timescales of environmental dynamics affect foraging decisions (Wednesday), a work together w/ Tiffany Ona, @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social, Bruno Cruz, @xindipoo.bsky.social and Peter Dayan
- 🚨Registration for Mechanistic Basis of Foraging 2025 closes October 20th 🚨 Speakers @mkflugge.bsky.social @aaronbornstein.bsky.social @benhayden.bsky.social @ellileadbeater.bsky.social @davidrobbe.bsky.social @dlbarack.bsky.social @becketebs.bsky.social uobevents.eventsair.com/the-mechanis...
- Reposted by CMC labThe final paper of my PhD is now out as a preprint. This is a follow-up piece in series of two companion papers modelling awareness and suppression in a new variant of continuous flash suppression. arxiv.org/abs/2510.17154 🧵 1/3
- Don't miss our posters at #BernsteinConference 😍
- If you are @ #BernsteinConference we have 4 posters, thread👇 P II 25, Tue 18–19:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P IV 5, Wed 14-15:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P II 25, Tue 18-19:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P I 11, Tue 16:30-18: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B...
- Reposted by CMC labIf you are @ #BernsteinConference we have 4 posters, thread👇 P II 25, Tue 18–19:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P IV 5, Wed 14-15:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P II 25, Tue 18-19:30: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B... P I 11, Tue 16:30-18: abstracts.g-node.org/conference/B...
- Reposted by CMC labWhat defines a brain state? 🧠 If you are also interested in answering this question, join us in "Toward a joint definition of neural-behavioral states", #BernsteinConference full-day workshop, Co-orgnized by @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social and I. (1/4)
- Don't miss today's workshop by two of our members (@armanbehrad.bsky.social and @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social) on brain state! bernstein-network.de/bernstein-co... #BernsteinConference
- What defines a brain state? 🧠 If you are also interested in answering this question, join us in "Toward a joint definition of neural-behavioral states", #BernsteinConference full-day workshop, Co-orgnized by @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social and I. (1/4)
- Reposted by CMC labVery much look forward to our workshop (co-organized with @armanbehrad.bsky.social) today with a great lineup of speakers who combine a wide spectrum of approaches and methods to have a joint definition of brain-behavior state! bernstein-network.de/bernstein-co... #BernsteinConference
- What defines a brain state? 🧠 If you are also interested in answering this question, join us in "Toward a joint definition of neural-behavioral states", #BernsteinConference full-day workshop, Co-orgnized by @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social and I. (1/4)
- Reposted by CMC labOn the Thursday's morning we continue with @colehurwitz.bsky.social, @engeltatiana.bsky.social, @apalmigiano.bsky.social, @acnavasolive.bsky.social, and I (4/4)
- Reposted by CMC labWe continue with @memming.bsky.social, Justus Kautz, @maryamshanechi.bsky.social (3/4)
- Reposted by CMC labOn the first day, we start with @neuralnestbird.bsky.social, @mehranahmadlou.bsky.social, @vmsruetten.bsky.social (2/4)
- Oops, wrong time in the original post! It will be 15:30 CET 😉
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Sep 25, Thu, 2pm CET), @dengpan.bsky.social will tell us about his recent paper (👇) [joint work w/ Rushworth lab]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Oops, wrong time in the original post! It will be 15:30 CET 😉
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Sep 25, Thu, 2pm CET), @dengpan.bsky.social will tell us about his recent paper (👇) [joint work w/ Rushworth lab]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Reposted by CMC lab🚨We believe this is a major step forward in how we study hippocampus function in healthy humans. Using novel behavioral tasks, fMRI, RL & RNN modeling, and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), we demonstrate the causal role of hippocampus in relational structure learning.
- Causal necessity of human hippocampus for structure-based inference in learning biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Aug 18, Thu, 2pm CET), Samuel Liebana will tell us about his paper (www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... [joint work w/ @saxelab.bsky.social & @laklab.bsky.social]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social on Aug 28th, Thursday, 2 PM CET, @trinityjchung.com will tell us about her recent paper (👇). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- 1/ What if we make robots that process touch the way our brains do? We found that Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks (ConvRNNs) pass the NeuroAI Turing Test in currently available mouse somatosensory cortex data. New paper by @Yuchen @Nathan @anayebi.bsky.social and me!
- Reposted by CMC lab1/ What if we make robots that process touch the way our brains do? We found that Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks (ConvRNNs) pass the NeuroAI Turing Test in currently available mouse somatosensory cortex data. New paper by @Yuchen @Nathan @anayebi.bsky.social and me!
- Reposted by CMC lab#CCN2025, Poster C160: We present MoDSA – a fully unsupervised method for identifying behaviorally relevant neural states in both biological & artificial systems. Looking forward to seeing you there!
- An unsupervised method to find behaviorally relevant internal states from data. We tested it w/ RNN & monkey data doing cognitive tasks & RNN trained with deep RL on naturalistic plum tracking task. Visit poster C160, Fri 2-5pm, talk to @armanbehrad.bsky.social 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=l...
- Wanna know how do agents forge better when have a model of their environment? Go to our wonderful collaborator, @roxana-zeraati.bsky.social B90 poster!
- We'll also tell you about real foraging, and also fancier RL models ;-) A wonderful collaboration with @roxana-zeraati.bsky.social , Peter Dayan and @alleninstitute.org. bsky.app/profile/roxa...
- Reposted by CMC labIf you are around for #CCN2025, come to B71 poster to know more how we (internally) forage for information and how RL can explain it!
- Wanna know about *internal* reinforcement learning? We'll show you seemingly random switches during perceptual multistability is a form informational foraging, is task-modulated & how RL explain them all! Poster B71, Wed 2-5pm, talk to @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=8...
- Reposted by CMC labExcited about #CCN2025 and sharing our research in @cmc-lab.bsky.social!
- We are heading to #CCN2025 in Amsterdam with 3 awesome posters! Thread below 👇 B71, Wed, 1pm-4pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=8... B90, Wed, 1pm-4pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=o... C169, Fri, 2pm-5pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=l...
- Reposted by CMC labHappy to share my second paper with Peter Dayan on our decision-theoretic approach to perceptual multistability (see the tweeprint of the first paper here x.com/neuroprincip...). Paper: A decision-theoretic model of multistability biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by CMC labIn interested, also check our previous papers: www.cell.com/neuron/fullt... and www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (bsky.app/profile/neur...)
- Happy to share my second paper with Peter Dayan on our decision-theoretic approach to perceptual multistability (see the tweeprint of the first paper here x.com/neuroprincip...). Paper: A decision-theoretic model of multistability biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- We are heading to #CCN2025 in Amsterdam with 3 awesome posters! Thread below 👇 B71, Wed, 1pm-4pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=8... B90, Wed, 1pm-4pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=o... C169, Fri, 2pm-5pm: 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=l...
- An unsupervised method to find behaviorally relevant internal states from data. We tested it w/ RNN & monkey data doing cognitive tasks & RNN trained with deep RL on naturalistic plum tracking task. Visit poster C160, Fri 2-5pm, talk to @armanbehrad.bsky.social 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=l...
- Wanna know about *internal* reinforcement learning? We'll show you seemingly random switches during perceptual multistability is a form informational foraging, is task-modulated & how RL explain them all! Poster B71, Wed 2-5pm, talk to @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social 2025.ccneuro.org/poster/?id=8...
- We'll also tell you about real foraging, and also fancier RL models ;-) A wonderful collaboration with @roxana-zeraati.bsky.social , Peter Dayan and @alleninstitute.org. bsky.app/profile/roxa...
- Looking forward to attending #CCN2025 for the first time and presenting the first steps of my postdoc project! If you’re interested in how learning the temporal structure of the environment affects foraging decisions and how we’re testing this in a naturalistic experiment come by poster B90, Wed.
- Reposted by CMC labLooking forward to attending #CCN2025 for the first time and presenting the first steps of my postdoc project! If you’re interested in how learning the temporal structure of the environment affects foraging decisions and how we’re testing this in a naturalistic experiment come by poster B90, Wed.
- Reposted by CMC labMy PhD journey has officially come to end with a Summa Cum Laude, thanks to all the amazing people who’ve supported me along the way, especially my advisors Anna Levina and @engeltatiana.bsky.social! Which apparently coincided with graduation from a witchcraft and wizardry school 😉 #neuroskyence
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today in ~2h (July 31st, Thursday, 2 PM CET), Jonathan Kasdin will tell us about his recent @nature.com paper (www.nature.com/articles/s41...). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Reposted by CMC labThat’s a great point, there are at least some evidence in ANNs that critical dynamics coincide with the optimal point for efficient coding, for example this paper from @neuroprinciplist.bsky.social www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social tomorrow (= July 3rd, Thursday, 2 PM CET), @alexandertesmer.bsky.social will tell us about his recent paper (bsky.app/profile/alex...). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Policy complexity is expensive. How does the brain regulate its investment of cognitive capacity? Our newest paper is on BioRxiv! We examine hypothalamic orexin (and MCH!) -producing neurons for their role in regulating the complexity decision policies. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- And here is the summary bsky.app/profile/davi... by our speaker, @david-g-clark.bsky.social
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social tomorrow (= June 26th, Thursday, 2 PM CET), David Clark will tell us about his recent @pnas.org paper (www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Reposted by CMC lab(1/23) In addition to the new Lady Gaga album "Mayhem," my paper with Manuel Beiran, "Structure of activity in multiregion recurrent neural networks," has been published today. PNAS link: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... (see dclark.io for PDF) An explainer thread...
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social tomorrow (= June 26th, Thursday, 2 PM CET), David Clark will tell us about his recent @pnas.org paper (www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- Reposted by CMC labIf you are interested in our RL models of internal cognitive processes (continuation of x.com/neuroprincip... and bsky.app/profile/neur...) visit our poster "A reinforcement learning model of task-modulated perception" today (poster 90) at RLDM conference.
- Happy to share my second paper with Peter Dayan on our decision-theoretic approach to perceptual multistability (see the tweeprint of the first paper here x.com/neuroprincip...). Paper: A decision-theoretic model of multistability biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- Reposted by CMC lab1/ Our paper appeared in @Nature today! www.nature.com/articles/s41... w/ Fiete Lab and @khonamikail.bsky.social . Explains emergence of multiple grid cell modules, w/ excellent match to data! Novel mechanism for applying across vast systems from development to ecosystems. 🧵👇
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (= May 1st, Thursday, 2 PM CET), @sarthakc.bsky.social will tell us about his recent @nature.com paper (bsky.app/profile/sart...). If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- 1/ Our paper appeared in @Nature today! www.nature.com/articles/s41... w/ Fiete Lab and @khonamikail.bsky.social . Explains emergence of multiple grid cell modules, w/ excellent match to data! Novel mechanism for applying across vast systems from development to ecosystems. 🧵👇
- Reposted by CMC lab@cmc-lab.bsky.social also welcome interested applicants. Please get in touch if you are into understanding the computational machinery of cognitive processes ;)
- Got a radical idea that doesn’t fit the mold? #HFSP supports bold, high-risk postdoctoral research in #LifeSciences 🧪 Challenge the norm. Go international. Think beyond disciplines 💪 Apply now! 💥 Deadline May 15 | Initiate LOI by May 7 🔗zurl.co/gtbWu #sts
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (= April 24, Thursday, 2 PM CET), Hongyu Chang will tell us about her recent @nature.com paper www.nature.com/articles/s41.... If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
- And link to her BlueSky summary: bsky.app/profile/hong...
- SEEING THROUGH YOUR EYES 👁️: Excited to share our new paper (which is out now @nature.com !!) with Wenbo Tang, Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz✉️, and Azahara Oliva✉️: we discovered a novel sleep microstructure that promotes memory replay! #Neuroscience #hippocampus nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵 1/12👇
- Reposted by CMC labRe-posting is appreciated: We have a fully funded PhD position in CMC lab @cmc-lab.bsky.social (at @tudresden_de). You can use forms.gle/qiAv5NZ871kv... to send your application and find more information. Deadline is April 30. Find more about CMC lab: cmclab.org and email me if you have questions.
- Reposted by CMC labShervin is looking for a PhD student in his lab in Dresden. Looks like an amazing opportunity, with deadline approaching fast!
- Re-posting is appreciated: We have a fully funded PhD position in CMC lab @cmc-lab.bsky.social (at @tudresden_de). You can use forms.gle/qiAv5NZ871kv... to send your application and find more information. Deadline is April 30. Find more about CMC lab: cmclab.org and email me if you have questions.
- Reposted by CMC labI advise any master student wishing to enroll in a PhD program to apply! Deadline approaching soon - don't miss out
- Re-posting is appreciated: We have a fully funded PhD position in CMC lab @cmc-lab.bsky.social (at @tudresden_de). You can use forms.gle/qiAv5NZ871kv... to send your application and find more information. Deadline is April 30. Find more about CMC lab: cmclab.org and email me if you have questions.
- Reposted by CMC labI look forward to presenting and discussing this work www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... in the Soft Matter and Biophysics Seminar of the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences! More info and link to join here: english.itp.cas.cn/activities/T...
- In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (= April 10, Thursday, 2 PM CET), Sage Chen will tell us about his lab recent works, including sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... If you'd like to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
