In the Neural Computation Lab we investigate how the brain represents information, and stores and retrieves memories. Topics currently under investigation include episodic memory, spatial cognition, controlled memory processes, the effects of stress and depression on memory, hippocampal-cortical interactions in memory encoding and consolidation, the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in memory, auditory cortical plasticity and reorganization after hearing loss, and the role of dopamine in learning and motivated action. We use a combination of computational modelling and empirical studies using behavioural measures and fMRI to investigate the neural bases of learning and memory.


Members of the Lab

Faculty
Sue Becker
Postdoctoral fellows
Muhammed Dur-e-ahmad
Graduate students
Chris Gilbert
Trent Toulouse
Xue Han
Chris Sevigny
Michael Chrostowski
Brandon Aubie
Honours thesis students
Sivan Rotenberg
Samir Moosa
Jillian O'Connor
Danielle Hulan
Past members of the lab


Sue Becker : Principal Investigator. Research interest: computational models of learning and memory.
Muhammed Dur-e-ahmad, Postdoctoral fellow. Computational modelling of the effects of stress on hippocampal structural remodelling and neurogenesis.  
ahmad at mathpost dot la dot asu dot edu
Chris Gilbert: Psych PhD candidate. Computational modelling and empirical studies of free recall strategies in human memory.  
iamchrisgilbert at hotmail dot com
Trent Toulouse: Psych PhD candidate. Modelling dopaminergic control of learning and action choice  
ttoulouse at gmail dot com
Xue Han: Psych PhD candidate. Spatial memory and navigation.  
hant at uwindsor dot ca
Chris Sevigny: Psych PhD candidate. Modelling spatial memory and navigation.  
csevigny at yorku dot ca
Michael Chrostowski: Neuroscience PhD candidate, co-supervised by Ian Bruce, ECE. Modelling development and treatment of tinnitus in auditory cortex after hearing loss  
chrostm at mcmaster dot ca
Brandon Aubie, Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour PhD candidate, co-supervised by Paul Faure, PN&B. Modelling neuronal duration tuning in the auditory system.  
aubiebn at mcmaster dot ca


Past Members of the Lab

Dezhong Yao, Ph D(1991), Professor(1995). Visiting Professor between November 2000 and May 2001. He is at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (www.uestc.edu.cn) Chengdu City 610054, China Tel: 86-028-3203139(home)?3202522(office), Fax:86-28-3254131. e-mail: dyao at uestc dot edu dot cn. His main interest is brain functional analysis and modeling.
Hwang-Soo Kim, Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea. Visiting Professor in the Neural Networks Lab at McMaster 1996-1997.
Andrew Smith: Post-doctoral fellow. Reinforcement learning; models of dopaminergic control in motivated behaviours.  
andys at mcmaster dot ca
Steve Joordens: Post-doctoral fellow. Models and empirical studies of human memory.  
joordens at psych dot utoronto dot ca. Steve is now a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto.
Melissa Dominguez, Research Associate; models of auditory cortical dynamics and reorganization after peripheral damage.
Steve R. Howell: Psych PhD graduate. Modelling human language acquisition.  
showell at hypatia dot psychology dot mcmaster dot ca.
Damian Jankowicz: Psych PhD graduate. Models of semantic memory.  
jank at psychology dot mcmaster dot ca
. Pat is now a postdoctoral fellow at York University in Doug Crawford's lab.
Patrick Byrne: Psych PhD graduate. Models of spatial memory.  
byrne at sabin dot psychology dot mcmaster dot ca
Le Yang, PhD student, Electrical and Computer Engineering. Research topic: computational models of cortical reorganization after hearing loss.  
Arnold Liwanag: Psych MSc candidate. Defected to industry.
Jean Lim: Psych M.Sc. graduate. Modelling hippocampal-frontal cortex interaction.
Chris Lesner, CompSci MSc graduate. Thesis work: Image Compression.
Gaurav Patel, Elec. Eng. MSc graduate. Thesis work: Modelling Non-linear Dynamics by means of Kalman Filter trained Recurrent nets.
Ken Seergobin, Psychology M.Sc. graduate. Thesis topic: Modelling visual learning based on temporal coherence. Currently doing a PhD in Psychology at the University of Toronto.
Sarah Goodwin, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: A VR study of spatial memory for objects under viewpoint changes.  
Christine Truong, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Investigating retroactive and proactive interference effects in memory, and their correlates with stress and depression.  
Meredith Mackenzie, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Deficits in hippocampal and frontal cognitive functions associated with stress and depression.  
Karim Mitha, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: VR studies of viewpoint dependence in memory of navigationally relevant objects and landmarks.  
Tina Schoenhoffer, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Computational model of hippocampal coding and neurogenesis using the Restricted Boltzmann Machine.  
Peter Sheffield, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Investigating auditory after-effects and tinnitus suppression.  
Riziq Sayegh, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Computational model of rhythm extraction in music perception.  
Josee Yang, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Models of ECT, kindling, neurogenesis.  
Dylan Smith, Honours Neural Computation student. Thesis project: Models of reinforcement learning  
Matthew Turnock, Honours Neural Computation student. Thesis project: Models of hippocampally-mediated contextual modulation of conditioned learning and behaviour.  
Kathleen Drennan-Scace, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Models of hippocampally gating of prefrontal cortex.  
Kamal Malhie, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: VR studies of spatial memory.  
Sabrina Mohamed, Honours Psychology student. Thesis project: Effects of stress and depression on hippocampal-dependent memory functions.  
Haemin Han, Honours Psychology student. Honours thesis: Computational models of hippocampal neurogenesis.  
Rohini Kalia, Honours Psychology student. Honours thesis: Computational models of contextual gating in conditioning.  
Kianosh Keyvani, Honours Psychology student. Honours thesis: Computational models of spatial coding of scenes and objects.  
Lori Giles, Honours Psychology student. Honours thesis: Virtual reality studies of human spatial memory.  
Pat O'Banion: Honours Neural Computation student. Honours thesis: Intelligent hearing aid project.  
Shilpy Gupta: Honours Neural Computation student. Honours thesis: Intelligent hearing aid project.  
Cindy Narinesingh, Honours Neural Computation student. Honours thesis: Computational models of human memory.  
Andrew Chan: Honours Neural Computation student. Honours thesis: Models of neuromodulatory action in learning and memory.  
chanman at fixy dot org
Jordan Hoath: Graduate, Honours Psychology. Honours thesis: Empirical studies of strategic memory use.
Ted Meeds: Graduate, Honours Neural Computation. Thesis topic: models of the hippocampal memory system. Earned his Master's degree at the University of Sussex, England. Currently a PhD student at the University of Toronto.
Adeline Chin: Graduate, Honours Neural Computation. Thesis topic: models of hippocampal memory system. Currently doing her M.A.Sc. in Environmental Engineering in BC.
Sara Page: Graduate, Honours Psychology. Thesis title: The impact of temporal coherence on the formation of visual representations.
Rick Taylor: Graduate, Honours Psychology. Thesis title: Filtering and tuning by the neocortex-thalamus complex.
Steve Holik: Graduate, Honours Psychology. Thesis title: A neural model of episodic memory.
Marcia Cushing: Graduate, Honours Psychology. Thesis title: Associative multiplication: a neural network model.

 
 

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