Joao Barbosa
@jbarbosa.org
INSERM group leader @ Neuromodulation Institute and NeuroSpin (Paris) in computational neuroscience.
How and why are computations enabling cognition distributed across the brain?
Expect neuroscience and ML content.
jbarbosa.org
How and why are computations enabling cognition distributed across the brain?
Expect neuroscience and ML content.
jbarbosa.org
Pinned
Joao Barbosa
@jbarbosa.org
· Feb 2
A good time to repost this banger from 'The Responsibility of Intellectuals' by Noam Chomsky in '67
Vance is absolutely correct: universities are - and must be - the enemy.
This is why the Right is attacking scholarship globally. They want to end the privilege Chomsky's talking about in 67
Vance is absolutely correct: universities are - and must be - the enemy.
This is why the Right is attacking scholarship globally. They want to end the privilege Chomsky's talking about in 67
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Learning in the overparametrized brain — a Journal Club article by N. Alex Cayco-Gajic
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Learning in the overparametrized brain — a Journal Club article by N. Alex Cayco-Gajic
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
It's happening! Canada launched two programs to recruit international researchers.
Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (1 million/yr for 8 yrs +)
Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders.
I will do my best to facilitate the process for those interested. Hit me up.
www.canada.ca/en/impact-pl...
Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (1 million/yr for 8 yrs +)
Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders.
I will do my best to facilitate the process for those interested. Hit me up.
www.canada.ca/en/impact-pl...
The Government of Canada introduces new programs for international researchers - Canada.ca
www.canada.ca
December 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
It's happening! Canada launched two programs to recruit international researchers.
Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (1 million/yr for 8 yrs +)
Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders.
I will do my best to facilitate the process for those interested. Hit me up.
www.canada.ca/en/impact-pl...
Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (1 million/yr for 8 yrs +)
Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders.
I will do my best to facilitate the process for those interested. Hit me up.
www.canada.ca/en/impact-pl...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
📣We have 2 open faculty positions for senior researchers in Neuroscience at Queen's University!
healthsci.queensu.ca/administrati...
1. a new Director for our Centre for Neuroscience Studies
2. a non-human primate NeuroAI researcher
Please share widely and reach out for questions!
healthsci.queensu.ca/administrati...
1. a new Director for our Centre for Neuroscience Studies
2. a non-human primate NeuroAI researcher
Please share widely and reach out for questions!
Administrative Opportunities
healthsci.queensu.ca
December 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
📣We have 2 open faculty positions for senior researchers in Neuroscience at Queen's University!
healthsci.queensu.ca/administrati...
1. a new Director for our Centre for Neuroscience Studies
2. a non-human primate NeuroAI researcher
Please share widely and reach out for questions!
healthsci.queensu.ca/administrati...
1. a new Director for our Centre for Neuroscience Studies
2. a non-human primate NeuroAI researcher
Please share widely and reach out for questions!
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
I’m happy to share some recent work out in PLOS Computational Biology with @guille-martin.bsky.social and Christian Machens at @champalimaudr.bsky.social . We use neural coding and population geometry to study different perspectives on hippocampal remapping.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Three types of remapping with linear decoders: A population-geometric perspective
Author summary Place cells of the hippocampus form unique activity patterns in different environments, a process called remapping. However, it is not clear what the relationship is between changes in ...
journals.plos.org
December 9, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I’m happy to share some recent work out in PLOS Computational Biology with @guille-martin.bsky.social and Christian Machens at @champalimaudr.bsky.social . We use neural coding and population geometry to study different perspectives on hippocampal remapping.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
My contribution to the modular/distributed debate
December 8, 2025 at 4:05 PM
My contribution to the modular/distributed debate
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
📢Join us for a seminar featuring Dr. Joao Barbosa! He will present his work on "Region-specific transformations enable distributed computations of flexible decisions."
Looking forward to seeing you there!
When: Thursday, December 11th, 12:00 p.m.
Location: Fotakis Room, FORTH Main Building
Looking forward to seeing you there!
When: Thursday, December 11th, 12:00 p.m.
Location: Fotakis Room, FORTH Main Building
December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
📢Join us for a seminar featuring Dr. Joao Barbosa! He will present his work on "Region-specific transformations enable distributed computations of flexible decisions."
Looking forward to seeing you there!
When: Thursday, December 11th, 12:00 p.m.
Location: Fotakis Room, FORTH Main Building
Looking forward to seeing you there!
When: Thursday, December 11th, 12:00 p.m.
Location: Fotakis Room, FORTH Main Building
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Why can neurons with completely different ion channels fire identically? 🧠
Neuronal degeneracy isn't a bug - it's a feature. Come see how we reconstruct entire degenerate populations from spike times within an interpretable feedback framework.
Poster @dataonbrainmind.bsky.social
#NeurIPS2025 #DBM
Neuronal degeneracy isn't a bug - it's a feature. Come see how we reconstruct entire degenerate populations from spike times within an interpretable feedback framework.
Poster @dataonbrainmind.bsky.social
#NeurIPS2025 #DBM
December 7, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Why can neurons with completely different ion channels fire identically? 🧠
Neuronal degeneracy isn't a bug - it's a feature. Come see how we reconstruct entire degenerate populations from spike times within an interpretable feedback framework.
Poster @dataonbrainmind.bsky.social
#NeurIPS2025 #DBM
Neuronal degeneracy isn't a bug - it's a feature. Come see how we reconstruct entire degenerate populations from spike times within an interpretable feedback framework.
Poster @dataonbrainmind.bsky.social
#NeurIPS2025 #DBM
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Some really good tips here. Wish I had learned number 3 earlier, or ever for that matter 🥲
www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool...
www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool...
From the GradSchool community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the GradSchool community
www.reddit.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Some really good tips here. Wish I had learned number 3 earlier, or ever for that matter 🥲
www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool...
www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Master in Cognitive Science #cogsci run by Univ Paris Cite & Sorbonne U is open for application for the 2926-2027 academic year.
Tracks:
#CogPsych #linguistics #philosophy #computational #neuroscience #neuroai
Internships available in dozens of Parisian labs
100% English
Tracks:
#CogPsych #linguistics #philosophy #computational #neuroscience #neuroai
Internships available in dozens of Parisian labs
100% English
Application | cog-SUP
cog-sup.fr
December 6, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Master in Cognitive Science #cogsci run by Univ Paris Cite & Sorbonne U is open for application for the 2926-2027 academic year.
Tracks:
#CogPsych #linguistics #philosophy #computational #neuroscience #neuroai
Internships available in dozens of Parisian labs
100% English
Tracks:
#CogPsych #linguistics #philosophy #computational #neuroscience #neuroai
Internships available in dozens of Parisian labs
100% English
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Andrea and I wrote a reply to the reply, where some of these issues are further discussed :)
rdcu.be/eSKYH
rdcu.be/eSKYH
Reply to ‘Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience as collections of practices’
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Reply to ‘Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience as collections of practices’
rdcu.be
December 4, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Andrea and I wrote a reply to the reply, where some of these issues are further discussed :)
rdcu.be/eSKYH
rdcu.be/eSKYH
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
This is joint work with amazing collaborators: Amin Nejatbakhsh (@aminejat.bsky.social), David Lipshutz (
@lipshutz.bsky.social), Jonathan Pillow (@jpillowtime.bsky.social), and Alex Williams (@itsneuronal.bsky.social).
🔗 OpenReview: openreview.net/forum?id=xgm...
🖥️ Code: github.com/neurostatsla...
@lipshutz.bsky.social), Jonathan Pillow (@jpillowtime.bsky.social), and Alex Williams (@itsneuronal.bsky.social).
🔗 OpenReview: openreview.net/forum?id=xgm...
🖥️ Code: github.com/neurostatsla...
Modeling Neural Activity with Conditionally Linear Dynamical Systems
Neural population activity exhibits complex, nonlinear dynamics, varying in time, over trials, and across experimental conditions. Here, we develop *Conditionally Linear Dynamical System* (CLDS)...
openreview.net
December 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
This is joint work with amazing collaborators: Amin Nejatbakhsh (@aminejat.bsky.social), David Lipshutz (
@lipshutz.bsky.social), Jonathan Pillow (@jpillowtime.bsky.social), and Alex Williams (@itsneuronal.bsky.social).
🔗 OpenReview: openreview.net/forum?id=xgm...
🖥️ Code: github.com/neurostatsla...
@lipshutz.bsky.social), Jonathan Pillow (@jpillowtime.bsky.social), and Alex Williams (@itsneuronal.bsky.social).
🔗 OpenReview: openreview.net/forum?id=xgm...
🖥️ Code: github.com/neurostatsla...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
In this episode of @braininspired.bsky.social, @engeltatiana.bsky.social discusses her modeling approach to discovering the connections between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...
Tatiana Engel explains how to connect high-dimensional neural circuitry with low-dimensional cognitive functions
Neuroscientists have long sought to understand the relationship between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain. Engel discusses her modeling approach to…
www.thetransmitter.org
December 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
In this episode of @braininspired.bsky.social, @engeltatiana.bsky.social discusses her modeling approach to discovering the connections between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
We are opening a FACULTY POSITION (tenure track, permanent) in the University of Cambridge at the interface of control and biology, interpreted broadly. Theorists and wet lab quantitative biologists with backgrounds in control, EE, applied math, ... apply by Jan 28!
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/univers...
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/univers...
University Assistant/Associate Professor in Control Theory and Systems Biology
Applications are invited for a University Assistant/Associate Professorship in the broad area of Control Theory and Systems Biology. The successful candidate will join the Control Group
www.cam.ac.uk
December 3, 2025 at 12:19 PM
We are opening a FACULTY POSITION (tenure track, permanent) in the University of Cambridge at the interface of control and biology, interpreted broadly. Theorists and wet lab quantitative biologists with backgrounds in control, EE, applied math, ... apply by Jan 28!
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/univers...
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/univers...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
We are excited to announce that the Cognitive Computational Neuroscience meeting (CCN 2026) will be held at New York University from August 3–6, 2026.
2026.ccneuro.org
2026.ccneuro.org
December 3, 2025 at 10:01 AM
We are excited to announce that the Cognitive Computational Neuroscience meeting (CCN 2026) will be held at New York University from August 3–6, 2026.
2026.ccneuro.org
2026.ccneuro.org
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Finally got the job ad—looking for 2 PhD students to start spring next year:
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
December 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Finally got the job ad—looking for 2 PhD students to start spring next year:
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
New Correspondence with @davidpoeppel.bsky.social in Nat Rev Neurosci. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here, we critique a recent paper by Rosas et al. We argue that "Bottom-up" and "Top-down" neuroscience have various meanings in the literature.
PDF: rdcu.be/eSKYI
Here, we critique a recent paper by Rosas et al. We argue that "Bottom-up" and "Top-down" neuroscience have various meanings in the literature.
PDF: rdcu.be/eSKYI
Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience as collections of practices - Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience as collections of practices
www.nature.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
New Correspondence with @davidpoeppel.bsky.social in Nat Rev Neurosci. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here, we critique a recent paper by Rosas et al. We argue that "Bottom-up" and "Top-down" neuroscience have various meanings in the literature.
PDF: rdcu.be/eSKYI
Here, we critique a recent paper by Rosas et al. We argue that "Bottom-up" and "Top-down" neuroscience have various meanings in the literature.
PDF: rdcu.be/eSKYI
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
He has come to discipline and punish
December 2, 2025 at 8:37 PM
He has come to discipline and punish
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
0/10 Thanks for the interest in our preprint. Some takes say it negates or fully supports the “manifold hypothesis”, neither quite right. Our results show that if you only focus on the manifold capturing most of task-related variance, you could miss important dynamics that actually drive behavior.
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
December 2, 2025 at 7:48 AM
0/10 Thanks for the interest in our preprint. Some takes say it negates or fully supports the “manifold hypothesis”, neither quite right. Our results show that if you only focus on the manifold capturing most of task-related variance, you could miss important dynamics that actually drive behavior.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
"You know the difference between a real science and a pseudoscience? A real science recognizes and accepts its own history without feeling attacked." - Foucault
December 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM
"You know the difference between a real science and a pseudoscience? A real science recognizes and accepts its own history without feeling attacked." - Foucault
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Our lab plans to attend en masse. We think #FENS2026 will be the greatest FENS meeting ever. See you in Barcelona!
🚨 Big news for the neuroscience community!
The Call for Abstracts, Travel Grants and Registrations for #FENS2026 is officially open! 🧠
👉 Register and submit your work today: https://loom.ly/usQR0ao
The Call for Abstracts, Travel Grants and Registrations for #FENS2026 is officially open! 🧠
👉 Register and submit your work today: https://loom.ly/usQR0ao
December 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Our lab plans to attend en masse. We think #FENS2026 will be the greatest FENS meeting ever. See you in Barcelona!
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Call is out for Champalimaud International Neuroscience Doctoral Programme 2026! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Call is out for Champalimaud International Neuroscience Doctoral Programme 2026! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Great read. Too many people assume that the role of theory papers in neuro is to "explain neural data". I'm not even sure we can explain anything yet. Data is more like a muse for theory.
How I contributed to rejecting one of my favorite papers of all times, Yes, I teach it to students daily, and refer to it in lots of papers. Sorry. open.substack.com/pub/kording/...
How I contributed to rejecting one of my favorite papers of all time
I believe we should talk about the mistakes we make.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Great read. Too many people assume that the role of theory papers in neuro is to "explain neural data". I'm not even sure we can explain anything yet. Data is more like a muse for theory.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
How I contributed to rejecting one of my favorite papers of all times, Yes, I teach it to students daily, and refer to it in lots of papers. Sorry. open.substack.com/pub/kording/...
How I contributed to rejecting one of my favorite papers of all time
I believe we should talk about the mistakes we make.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:27 AM
How I contributed to rejecting one of my favorite papers of all times, Yes, I teach it to students daily, and refer to it in lots of papers. Sorry. open.substack.com/pub/kording/...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Just got back from a great summer school at Sapienza University sites.google.com/view/math-hi... where I gave a short course on Dynamics and Learning in RNNs. I compiled a (very biased) list of recommended readings on the subject, for anyone interested: aleingrosso.github.io/_pages/2025_...
Home
The school will open the thematic period on Data Science and will be dedicated to the mathematical foundations and methods for high-dimensional data analysis. It will provide an in-depth introduction ...
sites.google.com
September 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Just got back from a great summer school at Sapienza University sites.google.com/view/math-hi... where I gave a short course on Dynamics and Learning in RNNs. I compiled a (very biased) list of recommended readings on the subject, for anyone interested: aleingrosso.github.io/_pages/2025_...