Nidhi Seethapathi
@nidhise.bsky.social
assistant professor at MIT building computational models to understand human movement
Pinned
Excited that this work discovering cross-species signatures of stabilizing foot placement control is now out in PNAS!
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
MLMC2025 is tomorrow!
For those joining remotely, here is the link for the meeting:
harvard.zoom.us/j/9544921964...
Reminder, the conference will start promptly at 9am PST.
Please visit the website for additional information, schedule, registration, etc!
motor-conference.org/openconf.php
For those joining remotely, here is the link for the meeting:
harvard.zoom.us/j/9544921964...
Reminder, the conference will start promptly at 9am PST.
Please visit the website for additional information, schedule, registration, etc!
motor-conference.org/openconf.php
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
harvard.zoom.us
November 13, 2025 at 10:49 PM
MLMC2025 is tomorrow!
For those joining remotely, here is the link for the meeting:
harvard.zoom.us/j/9544921964...
Reminder, the conference will start promptly at 9am PST.
Please visit the website for additional information, schedule, registration, etc!
motor-conference.org/openconf.php
For those joining remotely, here is the link for the meeting:
harvard.zoom.us/j/9544921964...
Reminder, the conference will start promptly at 9am PST.
Please visit the website for additional information, schedule, registration, etc!
motor-conference.org/openconf.php
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Come to my poster at SfN on Wednesday morning! I'll present my work on how the cerebellum uses internal models to control neocortical dynamics in a non-motor learning task. I'm biased, but I think it's pretty exciting! www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/21171...
Program Planner
www.abstractsonline.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Come to my poster at SfN on Wednesday morning! I'll present my work on how the cerebellum uses internal models to control neocortical dynamics in a non-motor learning task. I'm biased, but I think it's pretty exciting! www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/21171...
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Sunday.
India wins Women’s Cricket World Cup for first time with 52-run victory over South Africa
India has won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Sunday.
bit.ly
November 2, 2025 at 6:42 PM
India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Sunday.
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
1/N
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
June 23, 2025 at 12:28 PM
1/N
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
We are excited to share our new paper that dives into how ongoing decision deliberation reflects ongoing movements: (jneurosci.org/content/45/3...
A tour-de-force by the incredible Jan Calalo.
A tour-de-force by the incredible Jan Calalo.
July 31, 2025 at 3:44 PM
We are excited to share our new paper that dives into how ongoing decision deliberation reflects ongoing movements: (jneurosci.org/content/45/3...
A tour-de-force by the incredible Jan Calalo.
A tour-de-force by the incredible Jan Calalo.
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
The cerebellum isn’t just about coordinating movement. It’s implicated in nearly every domain of cognition—from language to social behavior.
But how exactly does the cerebellum contribute to action and cognition? 🧵
Check out our new paper w/ Rich Ivry.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.09818
But how exactly does the cerebellum contribute to action and cognition? 🧵
Check out our new paper w/ Rich Ivry.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.09818
Cerebellar Contributions to Action and Cognition: Prediction, Timescale, and Continuity
The cerebellum is implicated in nearly every domain of human cognition, yet our understanding of how this subcortical structure contributes to cognition remains elusive. Efforts on this front have ten...
arxiv.org
September 15, 2025 at 12:19 PM
The cerebellum isn’t just about coordinating movement. It’s implicated in nearly every domain of cognition—from language to social behavior.
But how exactly does the cerebellum contribute to action and cognition? 🧵
Check out our new paper w/ Rich Ivry.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.09818
But how exactly does the cerebellum contribute to action and cognition? 🧵
Check out our new paper w/ Rich Ivry.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.09818
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Stoked to see our study out in final form! Big kudos to @jonathanamichaels.bsky.social for driving this along for the past 5 years.
Thrilled that our paper is out today in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
Sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits
Nature - Experiments with human volunteers and macaques show that expectations produced by probabilistic cueing of future sensory inputs shape motor circuit dynamics in order to increase the...
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Stoked to see our study out in final form! Big kudos to @jonathanamichaels.bsky.social for driving this along for the past 5 years.
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
New Pre-Print:
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
We’re all familiar with having to practice a new skill to get better at it, but what really happens during practice? The answer, I propose, is reinforcement learning - specifically policy-gradient reinforcement learning.
Overview 🧵 below...
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
We’re all familiar with having to practice a new skill to get better at it, but what really happens during practice? The answer, I propose, is reinforcement learning - specifically policy-gradient reinforcement learning.
Overview 🧵 below...
Policy-Gradient Reinforcement Learning as a General Theory of Practice-Based Motor Skill Learning
Mastering any new skill requires extensive practice, but the computational principles underlying this learning are not clearly understood. Existing theories of motor learning can explain short-term ad...
www.biorxiv.org
October 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
New Pre-Print:
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
We’re all familiar with having to practice a new skill to get better at it, but what really happens during practice? The answer, I propose, is reinforcement learning - specifically policy-gradient reinforcement learning.
Overview 🧵 below...
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
We’re all familiar with having to practice a new skill to get better at it, but what really happens during practice? The answer, I propose, is reinforcement learning - specifically policy-gradient reinforcement learning.
Overview 🧵 below...
Our 2024 paper showed that policy gradient RL (with performance-based memory updates) predicts long-horizon motor learning. Now, @adrianhaith.bsky.social shows that policy-gradient RL also explains learning in other shorter horizon tasks. Exciting!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Policy-Gradient Reinforcement Learning as a General Theory of Practice-Based Motor Skill Learning
Mastering any new skill requires extensive practice, but the computational principles underlying this learning are not clearly understood. Existing theories of motor learning can explain short-term ad...
www.biorxiv.org
October 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Our 2024 paper showed that policy gradient RL (with performance-based memory updates) predicts long-horizon motor learning. Now, @adrianhaith.bsky.social shows that policy-gradient RL also explains learning in other shorter horizon tasks. Exciting!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Important work by @nidhise.bsky.social discovering signatures of control for stable locomotion across species. Excited to see the models applied to diverse species as part of IMSI @movementscience.bsky.social
Excited that this work discovering cross-species signatures of stabilizing foot placement control is now out in PNAS!
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Important work by @nidhise.bsky.social discovering signatures of control for stable locomotion across species. Excited to see the models applied to diverse species as part of IMSI @movementscience.bsky.social
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Check out this #incredible work on #stability and #control during movement across #humans, #mice, and #flies.
Congratulations @nidhise.bsky.social and @antoinecomite.bsky.social 👏🏽⭐
Congratulations @nidhise.bsky.social and @antoinecomite.bsky.social 👏🏽⭐
Excited that this work discovering cross-species signatures of stabilizing foot placement control is now out in PNAS!
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Check out this #incredible work on #stability and #control during movement across #humans, #mice, and #flies.
Congratulations @nidhise.bsky.social and @antoinecomite.bsky.social 👏🏽⭐
Congratulations @nidhise.bsky.social and @antoinecomite.bsky.social 👏🏽⭐
Excited that this work discovering cross-species signatures of stabilizing foot placement control is now out in PNAS!
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
October 21, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Excited that this work discovering cross-species signatures of stabilizing foot placement control is now out in PNAS!
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
@antoinecomite.bsky.social
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Understanding behavior requires datasets that capture humans while carrying out complex tasks. The kitchen is an excellent environment for assessing human motor and cognitive function, as many complex actions are naturally exhibited in kitchens from chopping to 🧽!
arxiv.org/abs/2506.01608
arxiv.org/abs/2506.01608
EPFL-Smart-Kitchen-30: Densely annotated cooking dataset with 3D kinematics to challenge video and language models
Understanding behavior requires datasets that capture humans while carrying out complex tasks. The kitchen is an excellent environment for assessing human motor and cognitive function, as many complex...
arxiv.org
September 23, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Understanding behavior requires datasets that capture humans while carrying out complex tasks. The kitchen is an excellent environment for assessing human motor and cognitive function, as many complex actions are naturally exhibited in kitchens from chopping to 🧽!
arxiv.org/abs/2506.01608
arxiv.org/abs/2506.01608
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Last week, I had the incredible privilege of talking with the @mit.edu first-generation, low income graduating class of 2025 as the event's keynote speaker. (1/n)
May 23, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Last week, I had the incredible privilege of talking with the @mit.edu first-generation, low income graduating class of 2025 as the event's keynote speaker. (1/n)
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
The NSF Integrative Movement Sciences Institute (IMSI) is a major biology research center spanning over 20 US institutions.
The Mission: To understand why we move like we do--from molecules to muscles to our environment.
At our Summer Institute, we train new students in our labs--like Hannah Chow:
The Mission: To understand why we move like we do--from molecules to muscles to our environment.
At our Summer Institute, we train new students in our labs--like Hannah Chow:
September 8, 2025 at 6:01 PM
The NSF Integrative Movement Sciences Institute (IMSI) is a major biology research center spanning over 20 US institutions.
The Mission: To understand why we move like we do--from molecules to muscles to our environment.
At our Summer Institute, we train new students in our labs--like Hannah Chow:
The Mission: To understand why we move like we do--from molecules to muscles to our environment.
At our Summer Institute, we train new students in our labs--like Hannah Chow:
In Nov last year, we published a predictive theory of locomotor adaptation to novel environments, capturing learning and generalization phenomena in over ten experiments:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I'm honored to be featured on the 2025 Innovators Under 35 list for this work.
ter.li/7c0jek
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I'm honored to be featured on the 2025 Innovators Under 35 list for this work.
ter.li/7c0jek
September 8, 2025 at 1:29 PM
In Nov last year, we published a predictive theory of locomotor adaptation to novel environments, capturing learning and generalization phenomena in over ten experiments:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I'm honored to be featured on the 2025 Innovators Under 35 list for this work.
ter.li/7c0jek
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I'm honored to be featured on the 2025 Innovators Under 35 list for this work.
ter.li/7c0jek
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
We test this by considering a cross-linguistic dataset of locomotion naming 🏃♀️💃🚶
We find that even in this challenging dynamical multi-modal domain, systems of semantic categories across languages are significantly efficient
7/n
We find that even in this challenging dynamical multi-modal domain, systems of semantic categories across languages are significantly efficient
7/n
August 9, 2025 at 1:46 PM
We test this by considering a cross-linguistic dataset of locomotion naming 🏃♀️💃🚶
We find that even in this challenging dynamical multi-modal domain, systems of semantic categories across languages are significantly efficient
7/n
We find that even in this challenging dynamical multi-modal domain, systems of semantic categories across languages are significantly efficient
7/n
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Cogsci and AI: two different approaches as articulated by Josh Tenenbaum #cogsci2025
August 1, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Cogsci and AI: two different approaches as articulated by Josh Tenenbaum #cogsci2025
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
This is what the science machine does. No massive breakthrough. No single cure. Just lots and lots of cumulative knowledge that makes things better…
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
UK cancer survival rate doubles since 1970s amid ‘golden age’, report says
Half of those diagnosed will now survive for 10 years or more after advances in diagnosis and treatment
www.theguardian.com
June 3, 2025 at 5:35 AM
This is what the science machine does. No massive breakthrough. No single cure. Just lots and lots of cumulative knowledge that makes things better…
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Ugh… there’s also what I call messianic AI, the fantasy that AI will “solve” science. Treating science like a vending machine for solitons/profit & scientists as human cogs replaceable by machinery. But Science is a living culture of critical discussion, mentorship, shared community values &methods.
May 9, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Ugh… there’s also what I call messianic AI, the fantasy that AI will “solve” science. Treating science like a vending machine for solitons/profit & scientists as human cogs replaceable by machinery. But Science is a living culture of critical discussion, mentorship, shared community values &methods.
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
100%!
Universities and scientists should not cave, THE PUBLIC IS WITH US!
We much FIGHT BACK against efforts to demolish US universities and US science, two things that actually make America great.
Universities and scientists should not cave, THE PUBLIC IS WITH US!
We much FIGHT BACK against efforts to demolish US universities and US science, two things that actually make America great.
University leaders need to understand: they are holding INCREDIBLY good cards.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
April 27, 2025 at 2:23 PM
100%!
Universities and scientists should not cave, THE PUBLIC IS WITH US!
We much FIGHT BACK against efforts to demolish US universities and US science, two things that actually make America great.
Universities and scientists should not cave, THE PUBLIC IS WITH US!
We much FIGHT BACK against efforts to demolish US universities and US science, two things that actually make America great.
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
📢📢 Abstract submission extended 📢📢
The new deadline for your abstract submission is the 30th of April ‼️
All you need to do is submit your 1-minute video on what you'd talk about using this link: forms.gle/rk9GGtwDCPtN...
Dynamic Walking 2025 is in Aachen, Germany on the 14th - 17th of July.
🦿🦵
The new deadline for your abstract submission is the 30th of April ‼️
All you need to do is submit your 1-minute video on what you'd talk about using this link: forms.gle/rk9GGtwDCPtN...
Dynamic Walking 2025 is in Aachen, Germany on the 14th - 17th of July.
🦿🦵
DW25 Abstract Submission
The conference will take place in Aachen, Germany (on the border with the Netherlands) from July 14 to 17, 2025. We’ll be based in one location, with easy access to three different countries!
Contact:...
forms.gle
April 22, 2025 at 7:17 PM
📢📢 Abstract submission extended 📢📢
The new deadline for your abstract submission is the 30th of April ‼️
All you need to do is submit your 1-minute video on what you'd talk about using this link: forms.gle/rk9GGtwDCPtN...
Dynamic Walking 2025 is in Aachen, Germany on the 14th - 17th of July.
🦿🦵
The new deadline for your abstract submission is the 30th of April ‼️
All you need to do is submit your 1-minute video on what you'd talk about using this link: forms.gle/rk9GGtwDCPtN...
Dynamic Walking 2025 is in Aachen, Germany on the 14th - 17th of July.
🦿🦵
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
It's what you've all been waiting and hoping for; the deets on Dynamic Walking 2025! 🚶🎉
The when: July 14th - 17th
The Where: Aachen (Germany, but bordering the Netherlands)
The submission process: dynamicwalking2025.org
The deadline: April 25th
🚶♀️Hope to see you soon <3 🚶
The when: July 14th - 17th
The Where: Aachen (Germany, but bordering the Netherlands)
The submission process: dynamicwalking2025.org
The deadline: April 25th
🚶♀️Hope to see you soon <3 🚶
DW25 Abstract Submission
The conference will take place in Aachen, Germany (on the border with the Netherlands) from July 14 to 17, 2025. We’ll be based in one location, with easy access to three different countries!
Contact:...
dynamicwalking2025.org
April 2, 2025 at 2:40 PM
It's what you've all been waiting and hoping for; the deets on Dynamic Walking 2025! 🚶🎉
The when: July 14th - 17th
The Where: Aachen (Germany, but bordering the Netherlands)
The submission process: dynamicwalking2025.org
The deadline: April 25th
🚶♀️Hope to see you soon <3 🚶
The when: July 14th - 17th
The Where: Aachen (Germany, but bordering the Netherlands)
The submission process: dynamicwalking2025.org
The deadline: April 25th
🚶♀️Hope to see you soon <3 🚶
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Only two weeks left to submit your video abstract for Dynamic Walking!🚶♀️🚶♂️
Are you planning something creative for your video?
How likely do you think it is that someone will use the medium of interpretive dance? 💃🕺
Submission portal and details: dynamicwalking2025.org
Are you planning something creative for your video?
How likely do you think it is that someone will use the medium of interpretive dance? 💃🕺
Submission portal and details: dynamicwalking2025.org
dynamicwalking2025.org
April 9, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Only two weeks left to submit your video abstract for Dynamic Walking!🚶♀️🚶♂️
Are you planning something creative for your video?
How likely do you think it is that someone will use the medium of interpretive dance? 💃🕺
Submission portal and details: dynamicwalking2025.org
Are you planning something creative for your video?
How likely do you think it is that someone will use the medium of interpretive dance? 💃🕺
Submission portal and details: dynamicwalking2025.org
Reposted by Nidhi Seethapathi
Check out the latest Superlab guest speaker. We were lucky to host @aniladmello.bsky.social who gave a fascinating presentation about the cerebellum and its relationship to autism. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzOe...
Anila D'Mello (UT - Southwestern)
YouTube video by Andrew Pruszynski
www.youtube.com
March 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Check out the latest Superlab guest speaker. We were lucky to host @aniladmello.bsky.social who gave a fascinating presentation about the cerebellum and its relationship to autism. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzOe...