Theoretical and computational approaches are playing an increasingly important role in the study of brain and behavior, helping to bridge the wide gap between our understanding of neural mechanisms and cognitive phenomena. There are a significant number of NACS faculty working on high-level computational models of brain function as well as artificial systems drawing on principles of neural computing. Research often involves collaborative efforts between individuals who are in the biological/cognitive departments and/or in the computer science and engineering departments, and is part of the more general effort in Theory and Computational Modeling within the NACS program.

Computational researchers are scattered throughout the program, but are most prominent within the sensorimotor integration and neuromorphic engineering, speech and language, and auditory neuroscience groups within NACS.

Prospective students should visit individual faculty, laboratory and departmental web sites for further information on individual research projects, course offerings, facilities, etc.

Faculty Members

Aloimonos, Yiannis, Computer Science

The research of Professor Aloimonos is devoted to the principles governing the design and analysis of real-time systems that possess perceptual capabilities, for the purpose of both explaining animal vision and designing seeing machines.

Anderson, Michael, Computer Science

Butts, Daniel A., Biology

The NeuroTheory Lab at University of Maryland operates at the interface of neuroscience experiment and theory, using experiments performed by collaborators to ground and validate conceptual frameworks and analytical methodology, and theory to guide experiment design and analysis. Our projects are largely focused on the visual system, where we are studying visual computation in the context of simulated natural vision experiments across multiple visual areas (retina, LGN, cortex). There are also projects in other areas including the auditory system, as well as studying synaptic plasticity and brain development. A key component of these projects is the study of how the computations performed by neurons explicitly use time: for example in the temporal patterns of spikes, the relationship to brain rhythms, and particular patterns of activity across neurons.

Contreras-Vidal, Jose, Kinesiology

Dr. Contreras-Vidal's research program integrates behavioral and computational neuroscience methods to study the neural mechanisms and computational principles underlying adaptive sensory-motor control in humans during normal and neurological conditions.

De Claris, Nicholas, Divison of Medical Information, Elec. & Computer Eng

Dr. DeClaris' research interests are in the areas of system science, computer engineering, and medical science and practice.

Gentili, Rodolphe, Kinesiology

Dr. Gentili's research focuses on the neural and computational principles underlying (overt, covert) sensorimotor performance and learning in Human, allowing then, a future implementation of similar principles for adaptive control of anthropomorphic robotic systems.

Horiuchi, Timothy, Elec. & Computer Eng

Dr. Horiuchi's research program is centered on the development of neural models of sensorimotor behavior and their implementation in VLSI for use in robotic demonstration systems. The laboratory is currently focused on bat echolocation and other auditory and visual projects.

Jacobs, David, Computer Science

My research has spanned a range of topics in vision. My primary focus has been on the problem of how to recognize objects in images. This is a central problem in vision that I find particularly fascinating because it lies between concrete, lower-level vision problems and central cognitive systems that attempt to tie semantics to the world. It is also a critical problem in many applications in multimedia and robotics. I have also done quite a bit of work in the computational and psychological study of perceptual organization. This is the lower level problem of how to identify the surfaces of potential objects before recognizing them. I see perceptual organization as integral to the recognition process, and in part my work attempts to show how these two problems can be unified.

Reggia, James, Computer Science

Research interests: computational models of hemispheric specialization and lateralization, recovery following brain damage, evolution of neural networks, adaptation, and emergent communication.