Pre-Doc fellows (cohort 2024)
Agustina
Can you briefly describe your professional background – BSc, MSc, research projects etc.?
I hold a Licenciatura degree in Psychology (equivalent to a BSc + MSc) from Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a strong focus on Neuroscience. Early in my career, I joined various labs in the fields of neuropsychology and neuroscience, which provided me with hands-on experience in data collection (e.g., EEG, cognitive tasks), data analysis (e.g., MATLAB and R), scientific writing and conferences presentations. Additionally, I worked as a teaching assistant in Statistics and took several courses in mathematics and coding, tailoring my path into Computational Neuroscience.
Why did you apply for the BCCN Berlin pre-doc internship?
The BCCN Berlin Pre-Doc Internship provided the ideal intermediate step to prepare me for the next phase of my academic career. On one side, it offered a cutting-edge research environment and valuable networking opportunities that could potentiate my professional growth. On the other side, it provided a unique chance for personal development, with all the challenges that living abroad for the first time involve, fostering self-discovery and adaptability. So far, it has been an excellent, well-rounded experience.
Could you please briefly describe the project that are you working on and with whom are you working here at the BCCN Berlin?
I am working in the Computational Neurology Lab led by PD Dr. med. Christian Meisel, and also supervised by Paul Müller, at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. My project focuses on exploring the relationship between heart rate variability, epileptic seizure risk, and criticality. Specifically, I am developing machine learning models to predict brain criticality at a given moment (and thus seizure susceptibility) using peripheral measures such as heart rate variability. For this, I am analyzing long-term temporal data from intracranial EEG and ECG recordings of pre-surgical epilepsy patients.
What do you like most about your actual research topic?
Two aspects stand out to me. First, the clear clinical applicability of the project. Working in a renowned hospital allows me to see how our research can potentially have a tangible impact on patient care, which is motivating to see early in my career. Second, I like the balance between guidance and independence in my work. The environment is highly stimulating, allowing me to learn quickly while also testing my own ideas.
What are your future plans for after the Pre-Doc internship?
After the Pre-Doc Internship finishes, I will begin my PhD in Medical Science at the University of Liège (Belgium) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), where I will continue working on Computational Neuroscience. The BCCN Berlin Internship has been a crucial step in this journey, giving me the confidence to pursue a PhD in Europe and reassuring my academic goals.
What are you enjoying the most during your internship at the BCCN Berlin?
I am enjoying everything, really much. During the week, I focus on my research, attending classes, and BCCN lectures –I am learning a lot. On the weekends, I get to experience Berlin as a tourist, which provides a refreshing contrast to my work.
What do you like to do in Berlin in your free-time?
In my free time, I love exploring the city –Berlin has endless cultural activities and there is history everywhere. I like exploring the parks, lakes and the different neighborhoods, each with its own unique vibe. I also enjoy going to festivals, working out and running along the Spree at sunset. I have also made a great group of friends, and I enjoy spending time with them, especially with more experienced Berliners who help me uncover hidden gems around the city.
Have you experienced any moments of culture shock? If so, could you please briefly describe the experience(s)?
I still find it odd that everything, even shopping malls, is closed on Sundays. It took some getting used to. However, the very first thing that really surprised me was the academic clap! I did not know about this and it was quite different from what I am used to, but now I have grown to like it and even use it myself.
Any other experiences or fun facts that you want to mention?
One great experience was participating as a speaker at the BCCN Science Slam during the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2024. It was a lot of fun, and the audience was really engaged. I was thrilled to win! Presenting my research in a way that was both accessible and entertaining for a general audience was challenging and exciting. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but it was totally worth it.
Godwin
Fontaine
Pre-Doc fellows (cohort 2023)
Ahmed
Can you briefly describe your professional background – BSc, MSc, research projects etc.?
I am Ahmed, from Egypt. I hold a bachelor in medicine and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering with a specialization on neural engineering. I am interested in the applications of machine learning in neuroscience research especially in neuroimaging. In my master’s thesis project, I designed an EEG classification model for motor imagery tasks using graph neural networks.
Why did you apply for the BCCN Berlin pre-doc internship?
BCCN is a well known prestigious place for computational neuroscience research, it was a perfect opportunity to join this community. Also, the program provides a great experience to prepare for a PhD in computational neuroscience.
Could you please briefly describe the project that are you working on and with whom are you working here at the BCCN Berlin?
I am working with the wonderful supervisor Livia de Hoz in her lab at CharitéCrossOver. I am working on a model for sleep stage prediction in mice from EEG, spiking activity, and the behavioral state of the mice. The aim of the model is to facilitate online experiments on mice and subsequent offline analyses.
What do you like most about your actual research topic?
The interdisciplinary nature of it and the long hours of problem solving and debugging :)
What are your future plans for after the Pre-Doc internship?
I am seeking a PhD in neuroscience mainly in cognitive computational neuroscience and neuroimaging.
What are you enjoying the most during your internship at the BCCN Berlin?
The large number of talks, lectures, and scientific events offered at BCCN. It is different to attend a talk over zoom than face to face.
What do you like to do in Berlin in your free-time?
Mainly, I walk a lot to explore the city. Especially, the lakes of the city.
Have you experienced any moments of culture shock? If so, could you please briefly describe the experience(s)?
Not precisely a cultural shock but I do really miss street cats. It is a big loss.
Bruna
Can you briefly describe your professional background – BSc, MSc, research projects etc.?
I graduated with a degree in Nanotechnology, specializing in Bionanotechnology, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. During my undergraduate studies, I conducted research on the effects of nanoencapsulation of orange oil for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This experience sparked my interest in studying the brain, which motivated me to pursue a master’s degree in Biophysics at the same university. In my master's research, I investigated a specific interaction between neurons and microglia using both in vivo and in vitro research models of Alzheimer's disease.
Why did you apply for the BCCN Berlin pre-doc internship?
Because of my interest in the intersection of neuroscience and computational modeling, I made the decision to shift my research focus to computational neuroscience. I saw the pre-doctoral internship as a perfect opportunity to acquire the foundational knowledge necessary for this field and make a smooth transition into it.
Could you please briefly describe the project that are you working on and with whom are you working here at the BCCN Berlin?
I am currently engaged in simulating visual scanpaths to model human exploration behavior. My main objective is to incorporate a top-down control of visual attention, specifically expectation, into the model to enhance our understanding of how the brain processes and computes this behavior. This research project is being carried out under the supervision of Nicolas Roth at Prof. Klaus Obermayer's group.
What do you like most about your actual research topic?
Evaluation of the results. It is very interesting to see the different scan paths the model generates when changing its parameters.
What are your future plans for after the Pre-Doc internship?
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience in Germany. Although I haven't even left Germany yet, I am already planning to return and continue studying this fascinating field. I am particularly interested in the study of episodic memory encoding and retrieval, as well as the underlying mechanisms of consciousness.
What are you enjoying the most during your internship at the BCCN Berlin?
The research-oriented nature of the program. While theoretical lectures are important, I believe that engaging in hands-on projects is the most effective way to learn.
What do you like to do in Berlin in your free-time?
I love reading, especially in the parks. I also enjoy hiking or visiting new parks. At home, I usually play games on my laptop, watch series, and chat with my friends from Brazil. Sometimes, I go for walks with my roommate.
Have you experienced any moments of culture shock? If so, could you please briefly describe the experience(s)?
The rush in the checkout lines at the market. I'll never understand it. I always go to the self-checkout if there's one available.
Any other experiences or fun facts that you want to mention?
Only last month did I stop being surprised by the sunlight during the evening at half past nine. I have mixed feelings about it - I love it and hate it. I love it because I feel that I can enjoy my day more, but I hate it because it gives me a sudden feeling that the day is over when it gets dark.
Cornell
Can you briefly describe your professional background – BSc, MSc, research projects etc.?
I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with Economics from the University of Cape Coast - Ghana and a Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana under the supervision of Dr. Philip Knight. During my Master's thesis, I developed an interest in computational neuroscience which I used to discover some hierarchical structures in the nest of cubitermes termite and that of the C elegans brain.
Why did you apply for the BCCN Berlin pre-doc internship?
Coming from a Maths background with a newfound interest in Computational Neuroscience, I saw the BCCN pre-doc internship as an opportunity for me to explore and experience in-depth training that would aid my transition easily to a doctoral position in Computational Neuroscience.
Could you please briefly describe the project that are you working on and with whom are you working here at the BCCN Berlin?
I am working in the Sprekeler lab and am honored to work with my main supervisor Henning Sprekeler and Friedrich Schuessler, a postdoc in the lab. The project involves exploring the connection between abstract RNN concepts and some biological constraints. It incorporates numerical simulations, theoretical analysis, and developing low-rank connectivity for recurrent neural networks containing excitatory-inhibitory (EI) connectivity.
What do you like most about your actual research topic?
I enjoy learning and enhancing my programming skills whiles working on numerical simulations
What are your future plans for after the Pre-Doc internship?
After the Pre-Doc internship, I am keen on pursuing a Ph.D. program hopefully in the BCCN Berlin PhD Program. Working on this project work and talking to colleagues in the Sprekeler lab has inspired me to continue learning and contribute to the neuroscience community.
What are you enjoying the most during your internship at the BCCN Berlin?
I like how through the internship I have had the opportunity to meet and engage with amazing scientists from countries outside Germany.
What do you like to do in Berlin in your free-time?
During my free time, I enjoy riding through the city on my bicycle and hiking with my colleagues from the pre-doc program.
Have you experienced any moments of culture shock? If so, could you please briefly describe the experience(s)?
Not seeing any homeless domestic animals on the street. I think that is quite new and cool to me. Also, meeting some Germans who had heard about the famous 'Ghanain Jollof Rice' and were enthusiastic to taste it got me surprised.
Any other experiences or fun facts that you want to mention?
Through the BCCN alumni lecture series, I had the chance to improve my public speaking by volunteering to chair a session.
Marcelo
Can you briefly describe your professional background – BSc, MSc, research projects etc.?
I have a bachelor's degree in biotechnology/bioinformatics, one in physics, and a master’s in physics. I always worked with computational neuroscience, but recently my interest resides in the statistical physics of neuronal networks, working on mean-field theories of spiking neurons.
Why did you apply for the BCCN Berlin pre-doc internship?
At the time, I just finished my master’s and was looking for good opportunities for a Ph.D. position. The pre-doc internship was a good opportunity to get into contact with labs that I was interested in working on.
Could you please briefly describe the project that are you working on and with whom are you working here at the BCCN Berlin?
I am working with Professor Tilo Schwalger on applications of dynamical mean-field theories to mesoscopic networks of spiking neurons. We are trying to generalize a result derived for firing rate models where chaotic oscillations were observed to be shaped by the properties of single neurons.
What do you like most about your actual research topic?
I have always been interested in how microscopic systems with high dimensionality can sometimes be described by a smaller set of macroscopic variables. The project I am working on allows me to see this kind of behavior by doing some clever math/physics tricks.
What are your future plans for after the Pre-Doc internship?
My plan for the future is still the same, start a Ph.D. on a topic related to my current work.
What are you enjoying the most during your internship at the BCCN Berlin?
I think the number of scientific activities and interesting seminars that happens here. It is a great place to learn neuroscience from people doing interesting research.
What do you like to do in Berlin in your free-time?
Mostly doing some bike touring around Berlin and neighboring cities and visiting some historical places.
Have you experienced any moments of culture shock? If so, could you please briefly describe the experience(s)?
Not really. I think the closest to a cultural shock is noting how loud the sirens are and how frequently you hear them.
Any other experiences or fun facts that you want to mention?
For some reason, a lot of people ask me for information when I am walking around the city. Unfortunately, I don’t speak German, so my answer is a sorry and a shrug.