Mehdi Azabou
@mehdiazabou.bsky.social
Working on neuro-foundation models
Postdoc at Columbia | ML PhD, Georgia Tech | https://www.mehai.dev/
Postdoc at Columbia | ML PhD, Georgia Tech | https://www.mehai.dev/
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
(1/8) New paper from our team!
Yu Duan & Hamza Chaudhry introduce POCO, a tool for predicting brain activity at the cellular & network level during spontaneous behavior.
Find out how we built POCO & how it changes neurobehavioral research 👇
arxiv.org/abs/2506.14957
Yu Duan & Hamza Chaudhry introduce POCO, a tool for predicting brain activity at the cellular & network level during spontaneous behavior.
Find out how we built POCO & how it changes neurobehavioral research 👇
arxiv.org/abs/2506.14957
September 12, 2025 at 8:33 PM
(1/8) New paper from our team!
Yu Duan & Hamza Chaudhry introduce POCO, a tool for predicting brain activity at the cellular & network level during spontaneous behavior.
Find out how we built POCO & how it changes neurobehavioral research 👇
arxiv.org/abs/2506.14957
Yu Duan & Hamza Chaudhry introduce POCO, a tool for predicting brain activity at the cellular & network level during spontaneous behavior.
Find out how we built POCO & how it changes neurobehavioral research 👇
arxiv.org/abs/2506.14957
🚨 The call for demos is still open, the deadline is tomorrow!
If you have a tool for visualizing large-scale data, pipelines for training foundation models, or BCI demos, we want to see it!
Submission is only 500 words, and it's a great opportunity to showcase your work.
If you have a tool for visualizing large-scale data, pipelines for training foundation models, or BCI demos, we want to see it!
Submission is only 500 words, and it's a great opportunity to showcase your work.
Excited to announce the Foundation Models for the Brain and Body workshop at #NeurIPS2025! 🧠📈 🧪
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
September 11, 2025 at 10:38 PM
🚨 The call for demos is still open, the deadline is tomorrow!
If you have a tool for visualizing large-scale data, pipelines for training foundation models, or BCI demos, we want to see it!
Submission is only 500 words, and it's a great opportunity to showcase your work.
If you have a tool for visualizing large-scale data, pipelines for training foundation models, or BCI demos, we want to see it!
Submission is only 500 words, and it's a great opportunity to showcase your work.
Excited to announce the Foundation Models for the Brain and Body workshop at #NeurIPS2025! 🧠📈 🧪
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
July 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Excited to announce the Foundation Models for the Brain and Body workshop at #NeurIPS2025! 🧠📈 🧪
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
We invite short papers or interactive demos on AI for neural, physiological or behavioral data.
Submit by Aug 22 👉 brainbodyfm-workshop.github.io
POSSM shows that monkey-to-human transfer works 🤯
This could change how we train neuro-foundation models. Multi-species pretraining!
POYO x SSM = POSSM 🧠⚡
A big step toward real-time, generalizable brain decoders at scale.
🧠📈 🧪
This could change how we train neuro-foundation models. Multi-species pretraining!
POYO x SSM = POSSM 🧠⚡
A big step toward real-time, generalizable brain decoders at scale.
🧠📈 🧪
New preprint! 🧠🤖
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
June 6, 2025 at 7:11 PM
POSSM shows that monkey-to-human transfer works 🤯
This could change how we train neuro-foundation models. Multi-species pretraining!
POYO x SSM = POSSM 🧠⚡
A big step toward real-time, generalizable brain decoders at scale.
🧠📈 🧪
This could change how we train neuro-foundation models. Multi-species pretraining!
POYO x SSM = POSSM 🧠⚡
A big step toward real-time, generalizable brain decoders at scale.
🧠📈 🧪
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
New preprint! 🧠🤖
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
June 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
New preprint! 🧠🤖
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
How do we build neural decoders that are:
⚡️ fast enough for real-time use
🎯 accurate across diverse tasks
🌍 generalizable to new sessions, subjects, and even species?
We present POSSM, a hybrid SSM architecture that optimizes for all three of these axes!
🧵1/7
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Our EEG-Foundation Challenge, on more than 3,000 subjects, is accepted at #Neurips 2025, go check it out:
eeg2025.github.io
Led by B Aristimunha D Truong P Guetschel and SY Shirazi!
eeg2025.github.io
Led by B Aristimunha D Truong P Guetschel and SY Shirazi!
EEG Challenge (2025)
From Cross-Task to learning subject invariance representation in EEG decoding
eeg2025.github.io
May 30, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Our EEG-Foundation Challenge, on more than 3,000 subjects, is accepted at #Neurips 2025, go check it out:
eeg2025.github.io
Led by B Aristimunha D Truong P Guetschel and SY Shirazi!
eeg2025.github.io
Led by B Aristimunha D Truong P Guetschel and SY Shirazi!
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Neural Encoding and Decoding at Scale (NEDS) is now accepted to @icmlconf.bsky.social as a spotlight (top 2.6%)! 🧠 🧪
Another step toward a foundation model of the mouse brain: "Neural Encoding and Decoding at Scale (NEDS)"
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
May 2, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Neural Encoding and Decoding at Scale (NEDS) is now accepted to @icmlconf.bsky.social as a spotlight (top 2.6%)! 🧠 🧪
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Check out our new paper at #ICLR2025, where we show that multi-task neural decoding is both possible and beneficial.
As well, the latents of a model trained only on neural activity capture information about brain regions and cell-types.
Step-by-step, we're gonna scale up folks!
🧠📈 🧪 #NeuroAI
As well, the latents of a model trained only on neural activity capture information about brain regions and cell-types.
Step-by-step, we're gonna scale up folks!
🧠📈 🧪 #NeuroAI
Scaling models across multiple animals was a major step toward building neuro-foundation models; the next frontier is enabling multi-task decoding to expand the scope of training data we can leverage.
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
POYO+
POYO+: Multi-session, multi-task neural decoding from distinct cell-types and brain regions
poyo-plus.github.io
April 25, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Scaling models across multiple animals was a major step toward building neuro-foundation models; the next frontier is enabling multi-task decoding to expand the scope of training data we can leverage.
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
POYO+
POYO+: Multi-session, multi-task neural decoding from distinct cell-types and brain regions
poyo-plus.github.io
April 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Scaling models across multiple animals was a major step toward building neuro-foundation models; the next frontier is enabling multi-task decoding to expand the scope of training data we can leverage.
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
Excited to share our #ICLR2025 Spotlight paper introducing POYO+ 🧠
poyo-plus.github.io
🧵
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Another step toward a foundation model of the mouse brain: "Neural Encoding and Decoding at Scale (NEDS)"
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
April 15, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Another step toward a foundation model of the mouse brain: "Neural Encoding and Decoding at Scale (NEDS)"
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
Trained on neural and behavioral data from 70+ mice, NEDS achieves state-of-the-art prediction of behavior (decoding) and neural responses (encoding) on held-out animals. 🐀
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Interested in foundation models for #neuroscience? Want to contribute to the development of the next-generation of multi-modal models? Come join us at IVADO in Montreal!
We're hiring a full-time machine learning specialist for this work.
Please share widely!
#NeuroAI 🧠📈 🧪
We're hiring a full-time machine learning specialist for this work.
Please share widely!
#NeuroAI 🧠📈 🧪
🔍 [Job Offer] #MachineLearning Specialist.
Join the IVADO Research Regroupement - AI and Neuroscience (R1) to develop foundational models in the field of neuroscience.
More info: ivado.ca/2025/04/08/s...
#JobOffer #AI #Neuroscience #Research #MachineLearning
Join the IVADO Research Regroupement - AI and Neuroscience (R1) to develop foundational models in the field of neuroscience.
More info: ivado.ca/2025/04/08/s...
#JobOffer #AI #Neuroscience #Research #MachineLearning
Machine Learning Specialist | IVADO
ivado.ca
April 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Interested in foundation models for #neuroscience? Want to contribute to the development of the next-generation of multi-modal models? Come join us at IVADO in Montreal!
We're hiring a full-time machine learning specialist for this work.
Please share widely!
#NeuroAI 🧠📈 🧪
We're hiring a full-time machine learning specialist for this work.
Please share widely!
#NeuroAI 🧠📈 🧪
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
#COSYNE2025 tutorial by Eva Dyer. Foundations of Transformers in Neuroscience youtu.be/CqS_sIrMZ2A...
Materials: cosyne-tutorial-2025...
Materials: cosyne-tutorial-2025...
Cosyne 2025 Tutorial - Eva Dyer - Foundations of Transformers in Neuroscience
Cosyne 2025 Tutorial Session Sponsored by the Simons Foundation
TOPIC: Foundations of Transformers in Neuroscience
SPEAKER: Eva Dyer, Georgia Institute of Technology
DATE: 27 March 2025
In this tutorial, we’ll introduce the fundamentals of transformers and their applications in neuroscience usin
youtu.be
April 3, 2025 at 12:18 PM
#COSYNE2025 tutorial by Eva Dyer. Foundations of Transformers in Neuroscience youtu.be/CqS_sIrMZ2A...
Materials: cosyne-tutorial-2025...
Materials: cosyne-tutorial-2025...
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Really enjoyed TAing for this tutorial, had great discussions with several attendees. Do check out `torch_brain` and the other packages here:
github.com/neuro-galaxy
github.com/neuro-galaxy
April 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Really enjoyed TAing for this tutorial, had great discussions with several attendees. Do check out `torch_brain` and the other packages here:
github.com/neuro-galaxy
github.com/neuro-galaxy
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Talk recordings from our COSYNE Workshop on Neuro-foundation Models 🌐🧠 are now up on the workshop website!
neurofm-workshop.github.io
neurofm-workshop.github.io
April 5, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Talk recordings from our COSYNE Workshop on Neuro-foundation Models 🌐🧠 are now up on the workshop website!
neurofm-workshop.github.io
neurofm-workshop.github.io
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Come to my talk today at #COSYNE2025 where I will talk about developing spatiotemporal models of brain dynamics
April 1, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Come to my talk today at #COSYNE2025 where I will talk about developing spatiotemporal models of brain dynamics
Thanks to everyone who came to Day 1 of the Workshop!
I had fun making this plot for the opening talk. It's exciting to see the exponential growth in the amount of pretraining data 🚀
I compiled a list of neuro-foundation models for EPhys and OPhys: github.com/mazabou/awes...
I had fun making this plot for the opening talk. It's exciting to see the exponential growth in the amount of pretraining data 🚀
I compiled a list of neuro-foundation models for EPhys and OPhys: github.com/mazabou/awes...
March 31, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Thanks to everyone who came to Day 1 of the Workshop!
I had fun making this plot for the opening talk. It's exciting to see the exponential growth in the amount of pretraining data 🚀
I compiled a list of neuro-foundation models for EPhys and OPhys: github.com/mazabou/awes...
I had fun making this plot for the opening talk. It's exciting to see the exponential growth in the amount of pretraining data 🚀
I compiled a list of neuro-foundation models for EPhys and OPhys: github.com/mazabou/awes...
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
I'll be giving a talk at the foundation model workshop #Cosyne2025 tomorrow: neurofm-workshop.github.io
In response to @thetransmitter.bsky.social article by @tyrellturing.bsky.social & Eva Dyer I'll be talking about:
How do "foundation"/AI models help us (experimenters) study the brain?
In response to @thetransmitter.bsky.social article by @tyrellturing.bsky.social & Eva Dyer I'll be talking about:
How do "foundation"/AI models help us (experimenters) study the brain?
COSYNE 2025 Workshop - Building a foundation model for the brain
Join us to explore neuro-foundation models. March 31-April 1, 2025 in Mont Tremblant, Canada.
neurofm-workshop.github.io
March 30, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I'll be giving a talk at the foundation model workshop #Cosyne2025 tomorrow: neurofm-workshop.github.io
In response to @thetransmitter.bsky.social article by @tyrellturing.bsky.social & Eva Dyer I'll be talking about:
How do "foundation"/AI models help us (experimenters) study the brain?
In response to @thetransmitter.bsky.social article by @tyrellturing.bsky.social & Eva Dyer I'll be talking about:
How do "foundation"/AI models help us (experimenters) study the brain?
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Eva Dyer and I wrote an opinion piece for @thetransmitter.bsky.social on why neuroscience needs to embrace complexity and accept the "bitter lesson" by using a data-driven regime at scale.
With commentary from several wonderful researchers!
🧠📈 #NeuroAI 🧪
With commentary from several wonderful researchers!
🧠📈 #NeuroAI 🧪
How can we make progress in developing a general model of neural computation rather than a series of disjointed models tied to specific experimental circumstances, ask Eva Dyer and @tyrellturing.bsky.social in the latest entry in our NeuroAI series.
www.thetransmitter.org/neuroai/acce...
www.thetransmitter.org/neuroai/acce...
Accepting “bitter lesson” and embracing brain’s complexity
To gain insight into complex neural data, we must move toward a data-driven regime, employing large models trained on vast amounts of data. Experts weigh in.
www.thetransmitter.org
March 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Eva Dyer and I wrote an opinion piece for @thetransmitter.bsky.social on why neuroscience needs to embrace complexity and accept the "bitter lesson" by using a data-driven regime at scale.
With commentary from several wonderful researchers!
🧠📈 #NeuroAI 🧪
With commentary from several wonderful researchers!
🧠📈 #NeuroAI 🧪
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Cosyne is this week! Looking forward to catching up with whoever is there. :-) #Cosyne2025
If you are sticking around for workshops, come checkout our 2-day workshop on building foundation models for the brain: neurofm-workshop.github.io 🧠 🧪
If you are sticking around for workshops, come checkout our 2-day workshop on building foundation models for the brain: neurofm-workshop.github.io 🧠 🧪
COSYNE 2025 Workshop - Building a foundation model for the brain
Join us to explore neuro-foundation models. March 31-April 1, 2025 in Mont Tremblant, Canada.
neurofm-workshop.github.io
March 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Cosyne is this week! Looking forward to catching up with whoever is there. :-) #Cosyne2025
If you are sticking around for workshops, come checkout our 2-day workshop on building foundation models for the brain: neurofm-workshop.github.io 🧠 🧪
If you are sticking around for workshops, come checkout our 2-day workshop on building foundation models for the brain: neurofm-workshop.github.io 🧠 🧪
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Join us at this #COSYNE2025 workshop to discuss foundation models for neuroscience!!!
#neuroscience #NeuroAI #MLSky 🧪
#neuroscience #NeuroAI #MLSky 🧪
How can large-scale models + datasets revolutionize neuroscience 🧠🤖🌐? We are excited to announce our workshop: “Building a foundation model for the brain: datasets, theory, and models” at @cosynemeeting.bsky.social #COSYNE2025. Join us in Mont-Tremblant, Canada from March 31 – April 1!
March 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Join us at this #COSYNE2025 workshop to discuss foundation models for neuroscience!!!
#neuroscience #NeuroAI #MLSky 🧪
#neuroscience #NeuroAI #MLSky 🧪
Join us at #COSYNE2025 to explore recent advancements in large-scale training and analysis of brain data! 🧠🟦
We also made a starter pack with (most of) our speakers: go.bsky.app/Ss6RaEF
We also made a starter pack with (most of) our speakers: go.bsky.app/Ss6RaEF
March 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Join us at #COSYNE2025 to explore recent advancements in large-scale training and analysis of brain data! 🧠🟦
We also made a starter pack with (most of) our speakers: go.bsky.app/Ss6RaEF
We also made a starter pack with (most of) our speakers: go.bsky.app/Ss6RaEF
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
How can large-scale models + datasets revolutionize neuroscience 🧠🤖🌐? We are excited to announce our workshop: “Building a foundation model for the brain: datasets, theory, and models” at @cosynemeeting.bsky.social #COSYNE2025. Join us in Mont-Tremblant, Canada from March 31 – April 1!
March 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
How can large-scale models + datasets revolutionize neuroscience 🧠🤖🌐? We are excited to announce our workshop: “Building a foundation model for the brain: datasets, theory, and models” at @cosynemeeting.bsky.social #COSYNE2025. Join us in Mont-Tremblant, Canada from March 31 – April 1!
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Ported over from X!
What will a foundation model for the brain look like? 🧠
We argue that it must be able to solve a diverse set of tasks across multiple brain regions and animals.
Check out our NeurIPS paper which introduces a multi-region, multi-animal, multi-task model arxiv.org/abs/2407.14668
What will a foundation model for the brain look like? 🧠
We argue that it must be able to solve a diverse set of tasks across multiple brain regions and animals.
Check out our NeurIPS paper which introduces a multi-region, multi-animal, multi-task model arxiv.org/abs/2407.14668
December 2, 2024 at 10:22 PM
Ported over from X!
What will a foundation model for the brain look like? 🧠
We argue that it must be able to solve a diverse set of tasks across multiple brain regions and animals.
Check out our NeurIPS paper which introduces a multi-region, multi-animal, multi-task model arxiv.org/abs/2407.14668
What will a foundation model for the brain look like? 🧠
We argue that it must be able to solve a diverse set of tasks across multiple brain regions and animals.
Check out our NeurIPS paper which introduces a multi-region, multi-animal, multi-task model arxiv.org/abs/2407.14668
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
Excited to release what we’ve been working on at Amaranth Foundation, our latest whitepaper, NeuroAI for AI safety! A detailed, ambitious roadmap for how neuroscience research can help build safer AI systems while accelerating both virtual neuroscience and neurotech. 1/N
December 2, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Excited to release what we’ve been working on at Amaranth Foundation, our latest whitepaper, NeuroAI for AI safety! A detailed, ambitious roadmap for how neuroscience research can help build safer AI systems while accelerating both virtual neuroscience and neurotech. 1/N
Reposted by Mehdi Azabou
This study shows that spike sequences carry information beyond what rates and latency to first spike do:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
My reactions:
1) Cool to see this in humans.
2) Are people still surprised that spike times carry information beyond rates/first-spike latency?!?!?!
🧠📈 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
My reactions:
1) Cool to see this in humans.
2) Are people still surprised that spike times carry information beyond rates/first-spike latency?!?!?!
🧠📈 🧪
Neuronal sequences in population bursts encode information in human cortex - Nature
The temporal order of neuronal firing within bursts of population spiking in the human anterior temporal lobe is dependent on the category as well as the identity of the individual stimulus, and this ...
www.nature.com
November 28, 2024 at 4:55 PM
This study shows that spike sequences carry information beyond what rates and latency to first spike do:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
My reactions:
1) Cool to see this in humans.
2) Are people still surprised that spike times carry information beyond rates/first-spike latency?!?!?!
🧠📈 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
My reactions:
1) Cool to see this in humans.
2) Are people still surprised that spike times carry information beyond rates/first-spike latency?!?!?!
🧠📈 🧪