Hans Op de Beeck
LightNews LightNews
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
Hans Op de Beeck
@hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
610 followers 580 following 25 posts
Professor in Brain & Cognition, KU Leuven, Belgium - The brain rules the mind; would-be runner and musician.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
costantinoai.bsky.social
Super excited to share a new preprint!

We asked a simple-but-big question:

What changes in the brain when someone becomes an expert?

Using chess ♟️ + fMRI 🧠 + representational geometry & dimensionality 📈, we ask:

1️⃣ WHAT information is encoded?
2️⃣ HOW is it structured?
3️⃣ WHERE is it expressed?

1/n
November 12, 2025 at 10:56 PM
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
New paper (and thread) on the representational dynamics of the main dimensions of object space: jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx... 1/n
Representational dynamics of the main dimensions of object space: Face/body selectivity aligns temporally with animal taxonomy but not with animacy | JOV | ARVO Journals
jov.arvojournals.org
November 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
tmaniquet.bsky.social
It's finally out! Our work with @hansopdebeeck.bsky.social & @costantinoai.bsky.social is published.

We went looking for dissociations between types of recurrence in DNNs, but we found something quite different.. hopefully that can tell us somehting about our models!

rdcu.be/eLwBA
October 27, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
alexlw.bsky.social
Hello vision scientists & linguists! The Journal of Vision is publishing a special issue on “The Vision-Language Interface.” Send in your research about reading, perceptual learning, sign language, dyslexia, etc! jov.arvojournals.org/ss/visionlan... #neuroskyence #VisionScience #PsychSciSky
Text of the call for papers which can be found here: https://jov.arvojournals.org/ss/visionlanguageinterface.aspx
October 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
bpitchford.bsky.social
Excited to share a new article from @icevislab.bsky.social! In a sample of over 60 people, we found distinct neural differences underlying object and face recognition in dyslexia. These findings highlight crucial domain-general visual processes that may contribute to word reading challenges.
Distinct neural processing underlying visual face and object perception in dyslexia
Developmental dyslexia is a disorder marked by difficulties in reading, spelling, and connecting sounds to written language. The high-level visual dys…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 23, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
davidecortinovis.bsky.social
New preprint out! We propose that action is a key dimension shaping the topographic organization of object categories in lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC)—and test whether standard and topographic neural networks capture this pattern. A thread:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

🧵 1/n
Investigating action topography in visual cortex and deep artificial neural networks
High-level visual cortex contains category-selective areas embedded within larger-scale topographic maps like animacy and real-world size. Here, we propose action as a key organizing factor shaping vi...
www.biorxiv.org
August 7, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
anndooms.bsky.social
“Waar zijn de personages die kinderen leren dat ze niet hoeven te wachten tot iemand anders de wereld redt, maar dat ze zelf het verschil kunnen maken?”
August 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
metr.org
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.

The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
July 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
owoolnough.bsky.social
For everyone out there working at the intersection of vision and language. We are currently accepting submissions for a Journal of Vision Special Issue on the vision-language interface
Submission deadline: Dec 31st
jov.arvojournals.org/ss/visionlan...

#neuroskyence #VisionScience #PsychSciSky
Journal of Vision Special Issue The vision-language interface Call for papers Vision and language are often considered to be separate cognitive systems, studied by separate research teams. However, they interact when we use vision for linguistic communication: when reading printed text, when describing verbally the things we see, and when observing the expressions and gestures of an interlocutor (during sign language, for example). The development of these critical skills changes the brain, such that the visual and language systems influence one another. In particular, regions of the cerebral cortex that are typically responsive to visual stimuli are also recruited for linguistic tasks. But some of those ideas are controversial. For instance, for well over a century scientists have debated whether the brains of literate individuals contain a region that is specialized for recognizing written words. The Journal of Vision invites submissions for a Special Issue on the interface between vision and language. The unique perspectives and techniques of vision science contribute much to the understanding of language. This special issue welcomes empirical papers that use behavioral/psychophysical, neuroimaging, electrophysiological and stimulation methods. Topics include, but are not limited to: - Functional specialization in the brain for reading and naming - Semantic representations in the brain - Letter recognition and perceptual learning - Sign language comprehension - Eye movements during reading or other linguistic tasks - Development of visual skills for reading and communication - Links between visual cortical activity and representations in large language models - Visual processing differences in dyslexia Editors: Susana Chung Kalanit Grill-Spector Garikoitz Lerma-Usabiaga Hans Op de Beeck Zeynep Saygin Alex White Oscar Woolnough Deadline for submissions: December 31, 2025. All papers will be subject to peer review.
July 8, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
bogaertslab.bsky.social
NEUROCOG 2025 is taking place in Brussels Nov 17–18!

The theme: AI and the Human Brain 🤖 🧠

We’re thrilled to welcome 6 amazing invited speakers:
@evfedorenko.bsky.social, @nicoschuck.bsky.social, @summerfieldlab.bsky.social, @jeffreybowers.bsky.social, @irisgroen.bsky.social & @mtoneva.bsky.social
NeuroCog » November 17-18, 2025
neurocog.be
June 4, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
michaelemann.bsky.social
Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it" by Colette Delawalla (@cdelawalla.bsky.social), Victor Ambros, Carl Bergstrom, Carol Greider, Michael Mann and Brian Nosek for @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it | Colette Delawalla
The new executive order allows political appointees to undermine research they oppose, paving the way to state-controlled science
www.theguardian.com
May 29, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
neurosteven.bsky.social
There are 2 PhD positions in my lab in Amsterdam (collaboration with Sander Bohte, @tessamdekker.bsky.social and Ingmar Visser) on NeuroAI of developmental vision.

academicpositions.nl/ad/centrum-w...
2 PHD-STUDENTS IN NEUROAI OF DEVELOPMENTAL VISION (M/F/X) - Academic Positions
Join an interdisciplinary team to research developmental vision in NeuroAI. Requires a strong computational background, deep learning skills, and a Master's ...
academicpositions.nl
May 28, 2025 at 9:29 AM
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
As a prior J1 visa holder (postdoc at MIT), I express my support for all those affected by this decision. The possibility of such a sudden and politically motivated stop of enrollment of international students and scholars will have a chilling effect on the prestige of all US institutes. 1/3
May 23, 2025 at 11:44 AM
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
Tomorrow tuesday afternoon at @vssmtg.bsky.social , our poster about what it takes for the brain and AI models to process the valence of complex and ambiguous social scenes
May 20, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
socialbrain.bsky.social
The cuts to NIH and NSF will cost 100s of billions in the short term and will reduce GPT by ~7% over the next 25-30 years
May 3, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
lkfazio.bsky.social
Can confirm that my NSF grant "How False Beliefs Form & How to Correct Them" was cancelled today because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities" Shocking that understanding how people are misled by false information is now a forbidden topic. Our work will continue but at a smaller scale
rebekahtromble.bsky.social Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · Apr 18
NSF has posted an “update on priorities.”

They’re canceling all “DEI and misinformation/disinformation” grants.

And the guidance on how to fulfill the longstanding, legally mandated Broadening Participation requirement is utterly incoherent.

www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
April 18, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
frezzalab.bsky.social
A beautiful article about writing, which also advocates against the use of LLM when learning academic writing

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An open letter to graduate students and other procrastinators: it’s time to write - Nature Biotechnology
Nature Biotechnology - An open letter to graduate students and other procrastinators: it’s time to write
www.nature.com
April 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
standehaene.bsky.social
Call for new research group leaders… literally 50 meters from NeuroSpin and its 6 MRI magnets and MEG!

Come work with us !
neuropsi.bsky.social Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience @neuropsi.bsky.social · Mar 3
⚠️2025 NeuroPSI call for new group leaders
▶️ We are open to a wide range of research topics, from molecules to cognition and from embryo to adult.
▶️ We offer generous lab and office space.
▶️ Junior and mid-career scientists: apply before May the 30th!

Learn more: neuropsi.cnrs.fr/ao2025/
Offres nouvelles équipes - Institut des Neurosciences Paris‑Saclay
Appel pour de nouveaux chefs d'équipes à l'Institut NeuroPSI.
neuropsi.cnrs.fr
March 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
peterkok.bsky.social
We have an opening for a 12 month Research Assistant post, funded by an ERC grant. The postholder would help with several neuroimaging projects, including MEG and 7T fMRI. Please repost and share with anyone who may be interested. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/... #neuroskyence #Neuroimaging
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
February 14, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
crampell.bsky.social
Hearing from a govt contractor that Dept of Education is terminating What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) contracts.
WWC is a website that rigorously evaluates education policies, programs, and products to determine what's effective and not. It's an invaluable tool for school, district, state leaders
February 10, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
marco-gandolfo.bsky.social
A PhD position is open in @peelen.bsky.social Lab at the Donders Institute - please spread the word and consider applying if you are interested about how imagery and perception relate to each other www.ru.nl/en/working-a... - plus we are fun people to work with ! :)
PhD Position: Neural Mechanisms of Imagery and Perception at the Donders Centre for Cognition | Radboud University
Do you want to work as a PhD Position: Neural Mechanisms of Imagery and Perception at the Donders Centre for Cognition at the Faculty of Social Sciences? Check our vacancy!
www.ru.nl
January 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
One does not expect a civilized country to disrupt science and silence its scientists in this way. All my support to the excellent scientists at NIH. Trump hits NIH with ‘devastating’ freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump hits NIH with ‘devastating’ freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring
Researchers facing
www.science.org
January 23, 2025 at 9:22 AM
hansopdebeeck.bsky.social
A thread motivated by a new paper on body representations in the human brain at a fine-grained (multi-unit) level, spearheaded by J Garcia Ramirez, T Theys, and P Janssen, where I was a small part of a bigger collaboration that also included S Bracci, R Murty and @nancykanwisher.bsky.social. 1/n
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
December 13, 2024 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Hans Op de Beeck
marcsinstitute.bsky.social
🚨Join us! We're hiring a 3yr Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience with @drquekles.bsky.social
@manuelvarlet.bsky.social @tgro.bsky.social & David White
to investigate decoding in super-recognisers. Applications close 14 Jan #postdoc #cogneuro #ACNS2024
tinyurl.com/SuperRecogni...
November 26, 2024 at 1:04 AM