Dr. Annik
Yalnizyan-Carson

I am a neuroscientist and artificial intelligence researcher, broadly interested in exploring how technology can be shaped by our understanding of the natural world. My research has recently been focused on how our understanding of the brain can be used to inspire design of sophisticated machine learning architectures. You can check out my research here. As of October 2022, I am working with AI Redefined as a Machine Learning Researcher.

In December 2021 I finished a PhD in Computational Neuroscience from the University of Toronto, under the supervision of Dr. Blake Richards in the Learning in Neural Circuits (LiNC) Lab Group. My dissertation research explored how memory of specific events can guide decision making in environments where underlying statistics (such as rewards) change over time. Previously, I completed a Masters degree in Cell & Systems Biology with Dr. Melanie Woodin, developing a model of cellular processes involved in inhibitory synaptic plasticity.

I am passionate about effective scientific communication. I love to explore creative ways of distilling high-level information into intuitive concepts, and I find it very rewarding to part of the experience of someone's "aha" moment when they learn something new! You can check out the teaching and mentorship programs I have been involved with here.

My current CV (last updated January 2022) is available here:
CV