Rob Mok
@robmok.bsky.social
Computational Cognitive Neuroscientist at CiNet & Osaka University. Category learning to concepts & everything between (semantic/episodic memory). Cognitive aging/damage in models & brains. To understand the brain & AI.
Reposted by Rob Mok
1/7 Can infants recognise the world around them? 👶🧠 As part of the FOUNDCOG project, we scanned 134 awake infants using fMRI. Published today in Nature Neuroscience, our research reveals 2-month-old infants already possess complex visual representations in VVC that align with DNNs.
February 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM
1/7 Can infants recognise the world around them? 👶🧠 As part of the FOUNDCOG project, we scanned 134 awake infants using fMRI. Published today in Nature Neuroscience, our research reveals 2-month-old infants already possess complex visual representations in VVC that align with DNNs.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Today I'd like to honor the memory of my mentor and friend, Roger Tsien, born 1952 February 1. Today would have been Roger's 74th birthday.
Most know Roger for his 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize with Shimomura and Chalfie. Roger made GFP into the versatile imaging method it is now.
Most know Roger for his 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize with Shimomura and Chalfie. Roger made GFP into the versatile imaging method it is now.
February 1, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Today I'd like to honor the memory of my mentor and friend, Roger Tsien, born 1952 February 1. Today would have been Roger's 74th birthday.
Most know Roger for his 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize with Shimomura and Chalfie. Roger made GFP into the versatile imaging method it is now.
Most know Roger for his 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize with Shimomura and Chalfie. Roger made GFP into the versatile imaging method it is now.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Postdoc position in Paris: come help develop new generation human brain computer interfaces ⚡🧠💻
Interested? Contact me if you have experience with machine learning (e.g. simulation-based inference, RL, generative/diffusion models) or dynamical systems.
See below for + details and retweet 🙏
Interested? Contact me if you have experience with machine learning (e.g. simulation-based inference, RL, generative/diffusion models) or dynamical systems.
See below for + details and retweet 🙏
January 27, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Postdoc position in Paris: come help develop new generation human brain computer interfaces ⚡🧠💻
Interested? Contact me if you have experience with machine learning (e.g. simulation-based inference, RL, generative/diffusion models) or dynamical systems.
See below for + details and retweet 🙏
Interested? Contact me if you have experience with machine learning (e.g. simulation-based inference, RL, generative/diffusion models) or dynamical systems.
See below for + details and retweet 🙏
Happy birthday Ogawa-sensei! We are proud to have him as our institute's (CiNet) advisor and I was lucky to meet him and present my research to him recently.
Happy 92nd Birthday to the father of BOLD fMRI, Seiji Ogawa.
January 20, 2026 at 6:11 AM
Happy birthday Ogawa-sensei! We are proud to have him as our institute's (CiNet) advisor and I was lucky to meet him and present my research to him recently.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Over the years, I have written a few Jupyter/Rmd/Matlab notebooks that attempt to teach some statistical concepts, particularly in neuroimaging. You can find them here: www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/people/rik.h..., though I will say a bit more about each one in a number of posts over next few days.
People
www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
January 19, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Over the years, I have written a few Jupyter/Rmd/Matlab notebooks that attempt to teach some statistical concepts, particularly in neuroimaging. You can find them here: www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/people/rik.h..., though I will say a bit more about each one in a number of posts over next few days.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Opportunity to move to Canada. 🍁 The Lifespan Institute @brocku.ca is looking to hire a Canada Excellence Research Chair In Healthy Development Across the Lifespan. More info in the job ad (salary negotiable).
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree....
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree....
Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Healthy Development Across the Lifespan at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, Tenured
This position is part of the BUFA (Employee Group) Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here to...
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Opportunity to move to Canada. 🍁 The Lifespan Institute @brocku.ca is looking to hire a Canada Excellence Research Chair In Healthy Development Across the Lifespan. More info in the job ad (salary negotiable).
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree....
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree....
Reposted by Rob Mok
DNNs are the dominant AI paradigm with remarkable performance, but backpropagation, their main supervised learning method, faces challenges in feasibility and biological plausibility.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608025005088?via%3Dihub
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608025005088?via%3Dihub
January 11, 2026 at 12:26 PM
DNNs are the dominant AI paradigm with remarkable performance, but backpropagation, their main supervised learning method, faces challenges in feasibility and biological plausibility.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608025005088?via%3Dihub
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608025005088?via%3Dihub
Reposted by Rob Mok
How do hippocampal pathways contribute to learning regularities and exceptions?
To answer this, Melisa Gumus & @drmack.bsky.social use diffusion imaging to identify the endpoints of different hippocampal pathways, and then analyze functional activity within those "footprints". Super innovative!
To answer this, Melisa Gumus & @drmack.bsky.social use diffusion imaging to identify the endpoints of different hippocampal pathways, and then analyze functional activity within those "footprints". Super innovative!
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 16, 2026 at 6:47 PM
How do hippocampal pathways contribute to learning regularities and exceptions?
To answer this, Melisa Gumus & @drmack.bsky.social use diffusion imaging to identify the endpoints of different hippocampal pathways, and then analyze functional activity within those "footprints". Super innovative!
To answer this, Melisa Gumus & @drmack.bsky.social use diffusion imaging to identify the endpoints of different hippocampal pathways, and then analyze functional activity within those "footprints". Super innovative!
Reposted by Rob Mok
I love this so much. After pushback on his recent "Medicine is the only field that reaches 6 sigma" with "my field, psychophysics is so awesome" he posted this. Hurray all Psychophysicists. LETS CELEBRATE PSYCHOPHYSICS. An island of large effects is us!
Psychophysics is a human-facing science with interventions arguably more robust than medicine.
1000 Hurts
Psychophysics is a human-facing science with interventions arguably more robust than medicine.
www.argmin.net
January 15, 2026 at 4:14 PM
I love this so much. After pushback on his recent "Medicine is the only field that reaches 6 sigma" with "my field, psychophysics is so awesome" he posted this. Hurray all Psychophysicists. LETS CELEBRATE PSYCHOPHYSICS. An island of large effects is us!
Reposted by Rob Mok
Medicine is the only human-facing science that consistently finds five-sigma interventions. Change my mind.
Nothing's Shocking
Medicine is the only human-facing science that consistently finds five-sigma interventions. Change my mind.
www.argmin.net
January 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Medicine is the only human-facing science that consistently finds five-sigma interventions. Change my mind.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Psychophysics is a human-facing science with interventions arguably more robust than medicine.
1000 Hurts
Psychophysics is a human-facing science with interventions arguably more robust than medicine.
www.argmin.net
January 15, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Psychophysics is a human-facing science with interventions arguably more robust than medicine.
Reposted by Rob Mok
Really thrilled that this paper led by @neurozz.bsky.social is now published in its final version in @elife.bsky.social!!
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
A unifying account of replay as context-driven memory reactivation
A context-driven memory model simulates a wide range of characteristics of waking and sleeping hippocampal replay, providing a new account of how and why replay occurs.
elifesciences.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Really thrilled that this paper led by @neurozz.bsky.social is now published in its final version in @elife.bsky.social!!
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
Reposted by Rob Mok
As we head into the new year, a reminder that if you're recruiting or looking for a job in Neuroscience (or adjacent) add #NeuroJobs to your post to appear on the NeuroJobs feed.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
#NeuroSkyence
bsky.app/profile/did:...
#NeuroSkyence
January 13, 2026 at 9:44 PM
As we head into the new year, a reminder that if you're recruiting or looking for a job in Neuroscience (or adjacent) add #NeuroJobs to your post to appear on the NeuroJobs feed.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
#NeuroSkyence
bsky.app/profile/did:...
#NeuroSkyence
Reposted by Rob Mok
Some fields list authors alphabetically. Others use norms like "senior last". Others use order to signify relative contributions. In a new paper with @kevinzollman.com, we model the evolution of these norms, and then look at which type of norm is best for science. doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
The evolution of scientific credit: when authorship norms impede collaboration
Abstract. Scientific authorship norms vary dramatically across disciplines, from contribution-sensitive systems where first author is the greatest contribu
doi.org
January 11, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Some fields list authors alphabetically. Others use norms like "senior last". Others use order to signify relative contributions. In a new paper with @kevinzollman.com, we model the evolution of these norms, and then look at which type of norm is best for science. doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
Reposted by Rob Mok
Can humans & animals really use internal maps to take shortcuts?
Tolman famously said yes - based largely on his Sunburst maze.
Our new review & meta-analysis suggests evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 doi.org/10.1111/ejn....
@uofgpsychneuro.bsky.social @ejneuroscience.bsky.social
Tolman famously said yes - based largely on his Sunburst maze.
Our new review & meta-analysis suggests evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 doi.org/10.1111/ejn....
@uofgpsychneuro.bsky.social @ejneuroscience.bsky.social
Tolman's Sunburst Maze 80 Years on: A Meta‐Analysis Reveals Poor Replicability and Little Evidence for Shortcutting
In 1946, Tolman et al. reported that rats could take a novel shortcut to a goal after training on an indirect route, supporting the Cognitive Map theory. However, a review of subsequent Sunburst maze...
doi.org
January 5, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Can humans & animals really use internal maps to take shortcuts?
Tolman famously said yes - based largely on his Sunburst maze.
Our new review & meta-analysis suggests evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 doi.org/10.1111/ejn....
@uofgpsychneuro.bsky.social @ejneuroscience.bsky.social
Tolman famously said yes - based largely on his Sunburst maze.
Our new review & meta-analysis suggests evidence is far weaker than you might think.
🧵👇 doi.org/10.1111/ejn....
@uofgpsychneuro.bsky.social @ejneuroscience.bsky.social
Reposted by Rob Mok
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization
Nature Neuroscience - Parcellation of the cortex into functionally modular brain areas is foundational to neuroscience. Here, Hayden, Heilbronner and Yoo question the central status of brain areas...
rdcu.be
December 23, 2025 at 1:02 PM
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Reposted by Rob Mok
📆 updated for 2026!
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
various computational neuroscience / MEEG / LFP short courses and summer schools
docs.google.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
📆 updated for 2026!
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Came across this in an old-ish book review: "This is one of the increasing number of books that would be well served by publication with a diskette or CD-ROM of simulations and models."
December 22, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Came across this in an old-ish book review: "This is one of the increasing number of books that would be well served by publication with a diskette or CD-ROM of simulations and models."
Reposted by Rob Mok
Our paper on data constrained RNN that generalize to optogenetic perturbations now citable on eLife:
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
December 18, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Our paper on data constrained RNN that generalize to optogenetic perturbations now citable on eLife:
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
Reposted by Rob Mok
What has my research lab been up to in 2025?
Time for a wrap up of our research!
This image is a gathering of key figures from our 2025 publications:
Links to publications in the replies:
#spierslab #research #neuroskyence
Time for a wrap up of our research!
This image is a gathering of key figures from our 2025 publications:
Links to publications in the replies:
#spierslab #research #neuroskyence
December 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
What has my research lab been up to in 2025?
Time for a wrap up of our research!
This image is a gathering of key figures from our 2025 publications:
Links to publications in the replies:
#spierslab #research #neuroskyence
Time for a wrap up of our research!
This image is a gathering of key figures from our 2025 publications:
Links to publications in the replies:
#spierslab #research #neuroskyence
Reposted by Rob Mok
Legit super excited about this work coming out. My amazing doctoral student @ben.graphics has been working on an idea to use physically based differentiable rendering (PBDR) to probe visual understanding. Here, we generate physically-grounded metamers for vision models. 1/4
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12307
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12307
December 17, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Legit super excited about this work coming out. My amazing doctoral student @ben.graphics has been working on an idea to use physically based differentiable rendering (PBDR) to probe visual understanding. Here, we generate physically-grounded metamers for vision models. 1/4
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12307
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12307
Reposted by Rob Mok
Why isn’t modern AI built around principles from cognitive science or neuroscience? Starting a substack (infinitefaculty.substack.com/p/why-isnt-m...) by writing down my thoughts on that question: as part of a first series of posts giving my current thoughts on the relation between these fields. 1/3
Why isn’t modern AI built around principles from cognitive science?
First post in a series on cognitive science and AI
infinitefaculty.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Why isn’t modern AI built around principles from cognitive science or neuroscience? Starting a substack (infinitefaculty.substack.com/p/why-isnt-m...) by writing down my thoughts on that question: as part of a first series of posts giving my current thoughts on the relation between these fields. 1/3
Reposted by Rob Mok
Now out in #JNeurosci -- we found changes in medial parietal cortex after manual exploration of everyday real-world objects
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
December 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Now out in #JNeurosci -- we found changes in medial parietal cortex after manual exploration of everyday real-world objects
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
Reposted by Rob Mok
Peer review is important and useful but we should focus our efforts on a small number of papers that matter (making big claims, using new approaches) and let the vast majority of work live on a preprint server to be judged by their utility over time to domain experts.
Springer-Nature statement
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
Riding the Autism Bicycle to Retraction Town
Does anyone *really* know their Factor Fexcectorn?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Peer review is important and useful but we should focus our efforts on a small number of papers that matter (making big claims, using new approaches) and let the vast majority of work live on a preprint server to be judged by their utility over time to domain experts.
Reposted by Rob Mok
🧠 New paper alert (the 1st one from our new lab)!
Led by 1st author & VR wizard @jaquent.bsky.social
@natcomms.nature.com
How do our brains distinguish novel from familiar places as we explore our environments, e.g., a new city?
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵 Thread below with key findings ⬇️
Led by 1st author & VR wizard @jaquent.bsky.social
@natcomms.nature.com
How do our brains distinguish novel from familiar places as we explore our environments, e.g., a new city?
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵 Thread below with key findings ⬇️
December 9, 2025 at 9:49 AM
🧠 New paper alert (the 1st one from our new lab)!
Led by 1st author & VR wizard @jaquent.bsky.social
@natcomms.nature.com
How do our brains distinguish novel from familiar places as we explore our environments, e.g., a new city?
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵 Thread below with key findings ⬇️
Led by 1st author & VR wizard @jaquent.bsky.social
@natcomms.nature.com
How do our brains distinguish novel from familiar places as we explore our environments, e.g., a new city?
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵 Thread below with key findings ⬇️