EDUCATION
- B.Tech., Electronics and Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NIT-K), Surathkal, India · 2014 – 2018
Thesis: Implementation of a 10-bit resolution Delta-Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter - SSC & HSC, Fr. Agnel School & Junior College, Vashi, Navi Mumbai · SSC 2011 · HSC 2013
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
- Research Intern, Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), University of Göttingen (Remote) · Jan 2026 – Present
Supervisor: Dr. Tristan Manfred Stöber- Developed a proof-of-concept spiking network model of hippocampal latent-state learning: extended a Hebbian winner-take-all RNN with action-conditioned recurrent connectivity to approximate clone-structured cognitive graphs (CSCG), and designed a surprise-gated forward-prediction learning rule that resolves sensory aliasing by splitting ambiguous observations into context-specific clones
- Co-developed a DFG research proposal for a biophysically grounded CSCG model in which multiple heterosynaptic plasticity mechanisms build latent-state representations in the hippocampus; formulated the central hypothesis, falsifiable predictions and a multi-scale work programme
- Research Scholar, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India · Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Supervisor: Dr. Raghav Rajan- Used in vivo electrophysiology in zebra finches to study pre-song neural dynamics and their role in vocal initiation and error correction; performed stereotaxic craniotomies, built custom electrodes and recorded from HVC and Area X (avian basal ganglia) in awake, singing birds
- Built a computational model of HVC to investigate what triggers introductory notes, the vocalizations that precede song
- Research Consultant, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA · Aug 2021 – Dec 2021
Supervisor: Dr. Marius Pachitariu- Analysed calcium imaging data from 70,000 neurons to investigate how mouse visual cortex generalises across stimuli in stimulus-rich environments
- Conducted retinotopic analysis of 20,000 neurons in mouse visual cortex to understand sparse stimulus encoding
- Visiting Research Fellow, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai, India · Jan 2020 – Jul 2021
Supervisor: Prof. Sanjay Chandrasekharan- Investigated brain regions involved in face processing using seed-based functional connectivity analysis of the open-source Haxby fMRI dataset; presented a poster at the 7th Annual Conference of Cognitive Science, IISc Bangalore (remote)
- Junior Research Fellow, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, India · May 2018 – Dec 2019
Supervisor: Prof. Shubha Tole- Investigated the effects of overexpression and knockdown of Wnt signalling genes during development of the cortical hem (hippocampal organiser) in a mouse model; used bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to identify critical genes
- Identified differentially expressed genes through comparative analysis of transcriptomic datasets from the developing mouse brain
- Summer Intern, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Trivandrum, India · Apr 2017 – Jul 2017
Supervisor: Dr. Deepak Chopra- Implemented an optimised watershed algorithm in MATLAB for segmentation of red blood cell images
- Predicted Alzheimer’s disease from the open-source OASIS dataset using logistic regression, kNN, decision tree and SVM classifiers
- Summer Intern, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, India · Apr 2016 – Jul 2016
Supervisor: Prof. Y. S. Rao- Calibrated polarimetric SAR systems using satellite imagery
SKILLS
- Programming: Python, MATLAB, C++, R
- Tools & Frameworks: Brian2, NEURON, SpikeInterface, Bombcell, Pynapple, NeMoS, KlustaKwik
- Wet Lab Techniques: In vivo extracellular electrophysiology, stereotaxic surgery & craniotomy, custom electrode fabrication, stereotaxic injections and lesioning (chemical and electrolytic), PCR, cryo-sectioning, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC)
- Research Areas: Spiking Neural Networks, STDP, Hidden Markov Models, Neural Coding
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS & TRAINING
- Impact Scholars 2026 · Sep 2026
Selected as part of a team for a research proposal on how subjective-prior representations reorganise in ventrolateral OFC during adaptation to uncued context switches - Neuromatch Academy: Deep Learning course · Jul 2023
- Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity (CAMP), NCBS Bangalore · Jul 2022
3-week intensive summer school on computational models of memory and synaptic plasticity - JGEEBILS · Dec 2021
Qualified the national entrance examination for PhD programmes at leading Indian research institutes - Neuromatch Academy: Computational Neuroscience course · Jul 2021
- Junior Research Scholarship, TIFR · Oct 2018
Research fellowship funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Govt. of India - JEE Main 2014 · May 2014
Rank 3220 among ~1.3 million candidates; secured admission to NIT Karnataka - Highest marks in Mathematics, HSC, Maharashtra State Board · Jun 2013
PEER REVIEW
- Reviewer, NeurIPS 2026 Workshop – Foundation Models for the Brain and Body (BrainBodyFM) · Sep 2026
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
- Lead Teaching Assistant, Computational Neuroscience course, Neuromatch Academy · Jul 2026
- Teaching Assistant, Computational Neuroscience course, Neuromatch Academy · Jul 2025
- Volunteer Mathematics Teacher, Savitribai Resource Centre, Navi Mumbai — training students from underrepresented backgrounds for Indian competitive exams · 2025 – Present
- Teaching Assistant, Animal Behaviour course, IISER Pune, for senior-year undergraduates (3 semesters) · 2023 – 2024
- Course Grader, Developmental Neurobiology course, TIFR · 2018 – 2019
SELECTED COURSES
- Graduate-level: Biostatistics; Literature Review and Writing; Mathematical and Computational Biology; Neurobiology I & II; Data Science and Practical Programming
- Bachelor’s: Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning; Control Systems; Digital Signal Processing; Engineering Mathematics and Physics I & II; Microprocessor and Embedded Systems
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION & OUTREACH
- Founder & Math Teacher, Prabuddha Vidyarthi STEM Network — a mentorship initiative for underprivileged students in India · 2026 – Present
- Creator, Brainy Tales (Instagram, @onlybrainytales) — neuroscience education content and The Neuroscience Scholars Collective Discord community · 2025 – Present
- Author & Editor, First Principles (Substack) — essays on science and politics · 2026 – Present
- Pen pal, Letters to a Pre-Scientist — mentoring a middle-school student by letter · 2026 – Present
REFERENCES