Ben Fulcher
@bendfulcher.bsky.social
I lead the Dynamics and Neural Systems Group at the School of Physics, the University of Sydney.
We develop time series tools & physical models to understand the dynamics of complex (usually neural) systems.
Also: @bendfulcher@fediscience.org
We develop time series tools & physical models to understand the dynamics of complex (usually neural) systems.
Also: @bendfulcher@fediscience.org
Pinned
Ben Fulcher
@bendfulcher.bsky.social
· Nov 21
New preprint: "Identifying statistical indicators of temporal asymmetry using a data-driven approach"
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
My very normal, by the book presentation from this years OHBM is now available. So if you weren't at OHBM, were there but happened to miss it, or if you did see it and just want to relive it all over again, here is your chance :)
I'm quite fond of this one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP86...
I'm quite fond of this one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP86...
OHBM 2025 | Oral Session | Stuart Oldham | Only a matter of time: developmental heterochronicity c…
YouTube video by Organization for Human Brain Mapping
www.youtube.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:20 AM
My very normal, by the book presentation from this years OHBM is now available. So if you weren't at OHBM, were there but happened to miss it, or if you did see it and just want to relive it all over again, here is your chance :)
I'm quite fond of this one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP86...
I'm quite fond of this one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP86...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Come and join our team! We are looking for a Research Officer to help with recruitment and assessment on a large-scale human brain imaging study:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Job Search
careers.pageuppeople.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Come and join our team! We are looking for a Research Officer to help with recruitment and assessment on a large-scale human brain imaging study:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
New preprint! Do you like ocean waves? We found similar waves on bacterial colonies! We found that this collective behavior, known as rippling, is nothing but surface waves on an active nematic. @princeton.edu @mpipks.bsky.social @ub.edu @icreacommunity.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
New preprint! Do you like ocean waves? We found similar waves on bacterial colonies! We found that this collective behavior, known as rippling, is nothing but surface waves on an active nematic. @princeton.edu @mpipks.bsky.social @ub.edu @icreacommunity.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
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 Ben Fulcher
Exciting new work from @lindenmp.bsky.social and friends!
Inferring intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Inferring intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Inferring intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory - Nature Communications
Here, the authors develop novel dynamical methods to model brain regions’ intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) from data, and find that they couple whole-brain structural connectivity to dynamic switchi...
www.nature.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Exciting new work from @lindenmp.bsky.social and friends!
Inferring intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Inferring intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
How do brain areas control each other? 🧠🎛️
✨In our NeurIPS 2025 Spotlight paper, we introduce a data-driven framework to answer this question using deep learning, nonlinear control, and differential geometry.🧵⬇️
✨In our NeurIPS 2025 Spotlight paper, we introduce a data-driven framework to answer this question using deep learning, nonlinear control, and differential geometry.🧵⬇️
November 26, 2025 at 7:32 PM
How do brain areas control each other? 🧠🎛️
✨In our NeurIPS 2025 Spotlight paper, we introduce a data-driven framework to answer this question using deep learning, nonlinear control, and differential geometry.🧵⬇️
✨In our NeurIPS 2025 Spotlight paper, we introduce a data-driven framework to answer this question using deep learning, nonlinear control, and differential geometry.🧵⬇️
New preprint! (by Kieran Owens)
Of interest to anyone who analyzes time-series data!:
"Time-series dimension reduction: a comprehensive review and conceptual unification of algorithms"
www.techrxiv.org/users/999518...
#timeseries #dimensionreduction #complexsystems
Of interest to anyone who analyzes time-series data!:
"Time-series dimension reduction: a comprehensive review and conceptual unification of algorithms"
www.techrxiv.org/users/999518...
#timeseries #dimensionreduction #complexsystems
Time-series dimension reduction: a comprehensive review and conceptual unification of algorithms
High-dimensional multivariate time-series data are analyzed in fields such as neuroscience, climatology, and finance. Time-series dimension-reduction (TSDR) methods are important for extracting inform...
www.techrxiv.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:13 AM
New preprint! (by Kieran Owens)
Of interest to anyone who analyzes time-series data!:
"Time-series dimension reduction: a comprehensive review and conceptual unification of algorithms"
www.techrxiv.org/users/999518...
#timeseries #dimensionreduction #complexsystems
Of interest to anyone who analyzes time-series data!:
"Time-series dimension reduction: a comprehensive review and conceptual unification of algorithms"
www.techrxiv.org/users/999518...
#timeseries #dimensionreduction #complexsystems
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Congrats to Dr Caroline Wormell from the School of Mathematics and Statistics on their recently announced DECRA award "From chaos to clarity: reliable data-driven analysis of dynamical systems."
November 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Congrats to Dr Caroline Wormell from the School of Mathematics and Statistics on their recently announced DECRA award "From chaos to clarity: reliable data-driven analysis of dynamical systems."
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Our new preprint is out in arXiv: Copula-based analytical results of horizontal visibility graphs for correlated time series arxiv.org/abs/2508.08934 This is from the collaboration with my undergraduate student Jeong-Min Lee.
Copula-based analytical results of horizontal visibility graphs for correlated time series
The visibility graph (VG) algorithm and its variants have been extensively studied in the time series analysis as they transform the time series into the network of nodes and links, enabling to charac...
arxiv.org
August 13, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Our new preprint is out in arXiv: Copula-based analytical results of horizontal visibility graphs for correlated time series arxiv.org/abs/2508.08934 This is from the collaboration with my undergraduate student Jeong-Min Lee.
New preprint: "Identifying statistical indicators of temporal asymmetry using a data-driven approach"
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
November 21, 2025 at 3:26 AM
New preprint: "Identifying statistical indicators of temporal asymmetry using a data-driven approach"
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
arxiv.org/abs/2511.15991
_Can we statistically distinguish the forward- versus reverse-time dynamics of a system from a finite time series?_
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
In case anyone is interested, I've put that animation I made of brain development from 21-40 weeks GA on YouTube for your enjoyment/reference🤰👶🧠 Now you don't need to go to that other place anymore to find it 😁
youtu.be/C20GQ5CtVt0
Plus the code is now up!
github.com/StuartJO/Fet...
youtu.be/C20GQ5CtVt0
Plus the code is now up!
github.com/StuartJO/Fet...
Fetal Brain Development: From 21 to 40 Weeks Gestation
YouTube video by Stuart0193
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 1:19 PM
In case anyone is interested, I've put that animation I made of brain development from 21-40 weeks GA on YouTube for your enjoyment/reference🤰👶🧠 Now you don't need to go to that other place anymore to find it 😁
youtu.be/C20GQ5CtVt0
Plus the code is now up!
github.com/StuartJO/Fet...
youtu.be/C20GQ5CtVt0
Plus the code is now up!
github.com/StuartJO/Fet...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
We wrote an article explaining why you shouldn't put several variables into a regression model and report which are statistically significant - even as exploratory research. bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/.... How did we do?
October 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM
We wrote an article explaining why you shouldn't put several variables into a regression model and report which are statistically significant - even as exploratory research. bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/.... How did we do?
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Glad to share the publication of our #newpaper (aka #blueprint) :
> A Predictive Approach to Enhance Time-Series Forecasting
By Skye Gunasekaran, Assel Kembay, Hugo Ladret, Rui-Jie Zhu, myself, Omid Kavehei and Jason Eshraghian
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #AI #prediction #time
> A Predictive Approach to Enhance Time-Series Forecasting
By Skye Gunasekaran, Assel Kembay, Hugo Ladret, Rui-Jie Zhu, myself, Omid Kavehei and Jason Eshraghian
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #AI #prediction #time
Just published in Nature Communications! Skye Gunasekaran has raised my expectations of UCSC undergraduate students impossibly high. You can direct all grading complaints to her. | Jason Eshraghian
Just published in Nature Communications! Skye Gunasekaran has raised my expectations of UCSC undergraduate students impossibly high. You can direct all grading complaints to her.
www.linkedin.com
October 2, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Glad to share the publication of our #newpaper (aka #blueprint) :
> A Predictive Approach to Enhance Time-Series Forecasting
By Skye Gunasekaran, Assel Kembay, Hugo Ladret, Rui-Jie Zhu, myself, Omid Kavehei and Jason Eshraghian
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #AI #prediction #time
> A Predictive Approach to Enhance Time-Series Forecasting
By Skye Gunasekaran, Assel Kembay, Hugo Ladret, Rui-Jie Zhu, myself, Omid Kavehei and Jason Eshraghian
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience #AI #prediction #time
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Nature research paper: Arousal as a universal embedding for spatiotemporal brain dynamics
go.nature.com/4nMUgYz
go.nature.com/4nMUgYz
Arousal as a universal embedding for spatiotemporal brain dynamics - Nature
Reframing of arousal as a latent dynamical system can reconstruct multidimensional measurements of large-scale spatiotemporal brain dynamics on the timescale of seconds in mice.
go.nature.com
September 26, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Nature research paper: Arousal as a universal embedding for spatiotemporal brain dynamics
go.nature.com/4nMUgYz
go.nature.com/4nMUgYz
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
random neuroimaging question: does anyone in bluesky-land have access to the loadings for neurosynth topics in schaefer 400 (yeo7) space? #neuroskyence @misicbata.bsky.social @richardfbetzel.bsky.social @borismontreal.bsky.social @sofievalk.bsky.social
September 26, 2025 at 2:39 AM
random neuroimaging question: does anyone in bluesky-land have access to the loadings for neurosynth topics in schaefer 400 (yeo7) space? #neuroskyence @misicbata.bsky.social @richardfbetzel.bsky.social @borismontreal.bsky.social @sofievalk.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Finally published:
“Toward a unified taxonomy of information dynamics via Integrated Information Decomposition”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
An information-theoretic framework to analyse complex multivariate dynamical processes ✨
“Toward a unified taxonomy of information dynamics via Integrated Information Decomposition”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
An information-theoretic framework to analyse complex multivariate dynamical processes ✨
Toward a unified taxonomy of information dynamics via Integrated Information Decomposition | PNAS
Our ability to understand and control complex systems of many interacting parts remains
limited. A key challenge is that we still do not know how b...
www.pnas.org
September 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Finally published:
“Toward a unified taxonomy of information dynamics via Integrated Information Decomposition”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
An information-theoretic framework to analyse complex multivariate dynamical processes ✨
“Toward a unified taxonomy of information dynamics via Integrated Information Decomposition”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
An information-theoretic framework to analyse complex multivariate dynamical processes ✨
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Can a virus help uncover Turing patterns in nature? In this @commsbio.nature.com paper, researchers show how the tulip breaking virus triggers the expression of a pigment that can display a broad range of (observable) stripe patterns @philipcball.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Can a virus help uncover Turing patterns in nature? In this @commsbio.nature.com paper, researchers show how the tulip breaking virus triggers the expression of a pigment that can display a broad range of (observable) stripe patterns @philipcball.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
🎊Ain’t no party like a thesis submission party🎊
Honored to have submitted my PhD as a recipient of the Paulette Isabel Jones Career Development Award from The University of Sydney!
Thank you x1000000 to MVP supervisor @bendfulcher.bsky.social & co-supervisor @macshine.bsky.social 😊
Honored to have submitted my PhD as a recipient of the Paulette Isabel Jones Career Development Award from The University of Sydney!
Thank you x1000000 to MVP supervisor @bendfulcher.bsky.social & co-supervisor @macshine.bsky.social 😊
August 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
🎊Ain’t no party like a thesis submission party🎊
Honored to have submitted my PhD as a recipient of the Paulette Isabel Jones Career Development Award from The University of Sydney!
Thank you x1000000 to MVP supervisor @bendfulcher.bsky.social & co-supervisor @macshine.bsky.social 😊
Honored to have submitted my PhD as a recipient of the Paulette Isabel Jones Career Development Award from The University of Sydney!
Thank you x1000000 to MVP supervisor @bendfulcher.bsky.social & co-supervisor @macshine.bsky.social 😊
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
This is what happens to successful authors. Caveat emptor.
Something similar happened (on much smaller scale) w/ one of my books. Amazon did nothing. Then a journalist reported on it. Amazon took down offending title.
I hope someone will report on this happening (much more blatantly) to Eric!
Something similar happened (on much smaller scale) w/ one of my books. Amazon did nothing. Then a journalist reported on it. Amazon took down offending title.
I hope someone will report on this happening (much more blatantly) to Eric!
FRAUD ALERT: I have nothing to do with these phony books using my name on the cover. I have not written a memoir or partnered/inspired any cookbooks!
Attempts to get Amazon to take these down have gone nowhere.
Attempts to get Amazon to take these down have gone nowhere.
August 14, 2025 at 10:27 PM
This is what happens to successful authors. Caveat emptor.
Something similar happened (on much smaller scale) w/ one of my books. Amazon did nothing. Then a journalist reported on it. Amazon took down offending title.
I hope someone will report on this happening (much more blatantly) to Eric!
Something similar happened (on much smaller scale) w/ one of my books. Amazon did nothing. Then a journalist reported on it. Amazon took down offending title.
I hope someone will report on this happening (much more blatantly) to Eric!
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
💤🧠🧪 New article! 🧪🧠💤
After years of effort led by @qualiastructure.bsky.social (Nao Tsuchiya and William Wong), Jenny Windt, Katja Valli, Valdas Noreika and @rherzoga.bsky.social, the Dream database is now published in @natcomms.nature.com
**A dream EEG and mentation database**
rdcu.be/eAwni
After years of effort led by @qualiastructure.bsky.social (Nao Tsuchiya and William Wong), Jenny Windt, Katja Valli, Valdas Noreika and @rherzoga.bsky.social, the Dream database is now published in @natcomms.nature.com
**A dream EEG and mentation database**
rdcu.be/eAwni
August 14, 2025 at 1:40 PM
💤🧠🧪 New article! 🧪🧠💤
After years of effort led by @qualiastructure.bsky.social (Nao Tsuchiya and William Wong), Jenny Windt, Katja Valli, Valdas Noreika and @rherzoga.bsky.social, the Dream database is now published in @natcomms.nature.com
**A dream EEG and mentation database**
rdcu.be/eAwni
After years of effort led by @qualiastructure.bsky.social (Nao Tsuchiya and William Wong), Jenny Windt, Katja Valli, Valdas Noreika and @rherzoga.bsky.social, the Dream database is now published in @natcomms.nature.com
**A dream EEG and mentation database**
rdcu.be/eAwni
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Preprint⭐
Our attention changes over time and differs across contexts—which is reflected in the brain🧠 Fitting a dynamical systems model to fMRI data, we find that the geometry of neural dynamics along the attractor landscape reflects such changes in attention!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our attention changes over time and differs across contexts—which is reflected in the brain🧠 Fitting a dynamical systems model to fMRI data, we find that the geometry of neural dynamics along the attractor landscape reflects such changes in attention!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Geometry of neural dynamics along the cortical attractor landscape reflects changes in attention
The brain is a complex dynamical system whose activity reflects changes in internal states, such as attention. While prior work has shown that large-scale brain activity reflects attention, the mechan...
www.biorxiv.org
August 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Preprint⭐
Our attention changes over time and differs across contexts—which is reflected in the brain🧠 Fitting a dynamical systems model to fMRI data, we find that the geometry of neural dynamics along the attractor landscape reflects such changes in attention!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our attention changes over time and differs across contexts—which is reflected in the brain🧠 Fitting a dynamical systems model to fMRI data, we find that the geometry of neural dynamics along the attractor landscape reflects such changes in attention!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
I've been thinking a lot about the preprint in terms of my own career. I grew up academically in computational labs. My papers were abstract early on and they only got more abstract as I progressed. The model was: find a new exciting mathematical tool. Apply it to brain imaging data. Write it up. 1/
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
August 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
I've been thinking a lot about the preprint in terms of my own career. I grew up academically in computational labs. My papers were abstract early on and they only got more abstract as I progressed. The model was: find a new exciting mathematical tool. Apply it to brain imaging data. Write it up. 1/
Are you interested in our work on complex physical systems and applications (to neural systems)?
Wanna join us in Sydney? 🐨 🦘
We have two open positions:
1. Postdoc position: usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
2. Fully-funded PhD position: www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
Wanna join us in Sydney? 🐨 🦘
We have two open positions:
1. Postdoc position: usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
2. Fully-funded PhD position: www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Physics)
Full time, 2-year fixed term position with potential to extend. Located on the Camperdown Campus at the School of Physics. Exciting opportunity to conduct research in a world-leading interdisciplinary...
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com
August 11, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Are you interested in our work on complex physical systems and applications (to neural systems)?
Wanna join us in Sydney? 🐨 🦘
We have two open positions:
1. Postdoc position: usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
2. Fully-funded PhD position: www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
Wanna join us in Sydney? 🐨 🦘
We have two open positions:
1. Postdoc position: usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
2. Fully-funded PhD position: www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
Reposted by Ben Fulcher
Mapping cerebral blood perfusion and its links to multi-scale brain organization across the human lifespan | doi.org/10.1371/jour...
How does blood perfusion map onto canonical features of brain structure and function? @asafarahani.bsky.social investigates @plosbiology.org ⤵️
How does blood perfusion map onto canonical features of brain structure and function? @asafarahani.bsky.social investigates @plosbiology.org ⤵️
August 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Mapping cerebral blood perfusion and its links to multi-scale brain organization across the human lifespan | doi.org/10.1371/jour...
How does blood perfusion map onto canonical features of brain structure and function? @asafarahani.bsky.social investigates @plosbiology.org ⤵️
How does blood perfusion map onto canonical features of brain structure and function? @asafarahani.bsky.social investigates @plosbiology.org ⤵️