Welcome

I’m Ryan, a Ph.D. student in Computational Neuroscience at Boston University. Here you’ll find my research work, projects, and thoughts on things that interest me.

My Science

As you can probably guess, I study the brain. My interests span a large variety of topics, but my current work focuses on three main areas: the develpment of novel state-space models for neural data analysis, behavioral state-switching during decision making tasks, and the role of astrocytes in learning and memory. I am currently advised by Dr. Brian DePasquale, Dr. Benjamin Scott, and Dr. Steve Ramirez.

My Projects

The first part of my Ph.D. has been largely spent on developing an open-source software package for analyzing neural data using state-space models. My package StateSpaceDynamics.jl is written in Julia and meant to be the go-to package for hierarchical state-space modeling of neural data. Currently, the package is under review at The Journal of Open Source Software. I am currently working on adding the recurrent switching linear dynamical system to the model offerings.

Another aim of my Ph.D. is invested in understanding how agents flexibly make decisions: for example, under what environmental conditions do animals move from impulsive to more deliberative decision making? Can this be read out in the neural data? What cell types are involved? To answer these questions, I am developing a novel analysis framework that combines behavioral modeling with neural data analysis.

Lastly, I am broadly interested in how astrocytes are involved in cognition. Part of my thesis is dedicated to finishing work I started during my undergraduate years and as a research technician in the Ramirez lab. You can read the preprint of this work here.

Non-Science

Outside of science, I am a collector of niche hobbies. I’m huge into coffee, specifically espresso. I use a Zerno Z1 grinder and a Profitec Pro 600 espresso machine. Some of my favorite roasters include, but are not limited to: Speedwell Roasters, Ramshead Roasters, Little Wolf Coffee Roasters, and Red Rooster Coffee. If any of these roasters happen to stumble upon this website, please sponsor me.

I also recently have gotten into sewing. I use a Brother CS7000x sewing machine, and I really like patterns from Wardrobe by Me. If you live in the Boston area, I also recommend you check out Gather Here; it is my favorite fabric store.

I’m also getting into birdwatching. Seriously, it’s not just for old people. I use the Merlin Bird ID app, which I would recommend. I really like the Tufted Titmouse.

Anyway, that’s just a few of the things I like to do. It’s certainly non-exhaustive; I hope to add more detail here as I feel inspired.