Joao Barbosa
@jbarbosa.org
INSERM group leader @ Neuromodulation Institute and NeuroSpin (Paris) in computational neuroscience.
How and why are computations enabling cognition distributed across the brain?
Expect neuroscience and ML content.
jbarbosa.org
How and why are computations enabling cognition distributed across the brain?
Expect neuroscience and ML content.
jbarbosa.org
Pinned
Joao Barbosa
@jbarbosa.org
· Feb 2
A good time to repost this banger from 'The Responsibility of Intellectuals' by Noam Chomsky in '67
Vance is absolutely correct: universities are - and must be - the enemy.
This is why the Right is attacking scholarship globally. They want to end the privilege Chomsky's talking about in 67
Vance is absolutely correct: universities are - and must be - the enemy.
This is why the Right is attacking scholarship globally. They want to end the privilege Chomsky's talking about in 67
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
🚨Friends, we’re happy to share that our book is available for pre-order! 🎉
We aimed to cover all the foundations of the topic in an accessible manner for a large audience.
It could help set up a bachelor-level curriculum on the topic.
Pre-orders are very key for the fate of books: shorturl.at/Dxbif
We aimed to cover all the foundations of the topic in an accessible manner for a large audience.
It could help set up a bachelor-level curriculum on the topic.
Pre-orders are very key for the fate of books: shorturl.at/Dxbif
November 26, 2025 at 11:38 AM
🚨Friends, we’re happy to share that our book is available for pre-order! 🎉
We aimed to cover all the foundations of the topic in an accessible manner for a large audience.
It could help set up a bachelor-level curriculum on the topic.
Pre-orders are very key for the fate of books: shorturl.at/Dxbif
We aimed to cover all the foundations of the topic in an accessible manner for a large audience.
It could help set up a bachelor-level curriculum on the topic.
Pre-orders are very key for the fate of books: shorturl.at/Dxbif
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Also, from a dynamics perspective, directions with very little variance (in a statistical perspective) can still have an outsized effect on the activity on directions with larger variance!
November 26, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Also, from a dynamics perspective, directions with very little variance (in a statistical perspective) can still have an outsized effect on the activity on directions with larger variance!
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Love SVD, good data viz tool, but shouldn't be the core of our neural analysis.
This paper finds that if you truncate at 5 PCs (95% var), you'll miss critical dynamics. Lower PCs (6-12) capture non-norm dyn -- each captures little var bc they're transient, but they are critical for the dynamics.
This paper finds that if you truncate at 5 PCs (95% var), you'll miss critical dynamics. Lower PCs (6-12) capture non-norm dyn -- each captures little var bc they're transient, but they are critical for the dynamics.
November 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Love SVD, good data viz tool, but shouldn't be the core of our neural analysis.
This paper finds that if you truncate at 5 PCs (95% var), you'll miss critical dynamics. Lower PCs (6-12) capture non-norm dyn -- each captures little var bc they're transient, but they are critical for the dynamics.
This paper finds that if you truncate at 5 PCs (95% var), you'll miss critical dynamics. Lower PCs (6-12) capture non-norm dyn -- each captures little var bc they're transient, but they are critical for the dynamics.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
anything less than 420-D should not be called high D imo
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 AM
anything less than 420-D should not be called high D imo
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
My spicy take would be that neural manifolds may not be disprovable given how the brains we are aware of are built, and the challenges are: (1) whether they give us understanding beyond single neuron descriptions (2) whether they have "causal power"
A recent attempt at this youtu.be/oxQyKByqDSU?...
A recent attempt at this youtu.be/oxQyKByqDSU?...
Juan Gallego
YouTube video by Champalimaud Research
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 6:22 AM
My spicy take would be that neural manifolds may not be disprovable given how the brains we are aware of are built, and the challenges are: (1) whether they give us understanding beyond single neuron descriptions (2) whether they have "causal power"
A recent attempt at this youtu.be/oxQyKByqDSU?...
A recent attempt at this youtu.be/oxQyKByqDSU?...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
If one embraces the challenge of choosing a good neural code, one is faced with the following trade-off (low-D vs high-D):
(3/37)
(3/37)
December 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM
If one embraces the challenge of choosing a good neural code, one is faced with the following trade-off (low-D vs high-D):
(3/37)
(3/37)
Y’all are reading this paper in the wrong way.
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Y’all are reading this paper in the wrong way.
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
What’s the most significant advice you received from a teacher?
I had a Geology prof who always said “have strong opinions, loosely held”
Be passionate, assess alternatives with conviction, take sides. But don’t fall so in love with your opinions that you can’t change them with better data.
I had a Geology prof who always said “have strong opinions, loosely held”
Be passionate, assess alternatives with conviction, take sides. But don’t fall so in love with your opinions that you can’t change them with better data.
November 21, 2025 at 12:54 AM
What’s the most significant advice you received from a teacher?
I had a Geology prof who always said “have strong opinions, loosely held”
Be passionate, assess alternatives with conviction, take sides. But don’t fall so in love with your opinions that you can’t change them with better data.
I had a Geology prof who always said “have strong opinions, loosely held”
Be passionate, assess alternatives with conviction, take sides. But don’t fall so in love with your opinions that you can’t change them with better data.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Humans will NEVER colonize another planet. Never.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
November 22, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Humans will NEVER colonize another planet. Never.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
As it's hiring season again I'm resharing the NeuroJobs feed. Add #NeuroJobs to your post if you're recruiting or looking for an RA, PhD, Postdoc, or faculty position in Neuro or an adjacent field.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
September 3, 2025 at 3:25 PM
As it's hiring season again I'm resharing the NeuroJobs feed. Add #NeuroJobs to your post if you're recruiting or looking for an RA, PhD, Postdoc, or faculty position in Neuro or an adjacent field.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
To “my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:22 AM
To “my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
This is one of my favs...
November 18, 2025 at 12:22 PM
This is one of my favs...
"ASS is inviting scientists who are active in academic activities to serve as editorial members"
is ASS the 'best' predatory journal around?
is ASS the 'best' predatory journal around?
November 19, 2025 at 9:10 PM
"ASS is inviting scientists who are active in academic activities to serve as editorial members"
is ASS the 'best' predatory journal around?
is ASS the 'best' predatory journal around?
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
I am recruiting graduate students for the experimental side of my lab @mcgill.ca for admission in Fall 2026!
Get in touch if you're interested in how brain circuits implement distributed computation, including dopamine-based distributed RL and probabilistic representations.
Get in touch if you're interested in how brain circuits implement distributed computation, including dopamine-based distributed RL and probabilistic representations.
November 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I am recruiting graduate students for the experimental side of my lab @mcgill.ca for admission in Fall 2026!
Get in touch if you're interested in how brain circuits implement distributed computation, including dopamine-based distributed RL and probabilistic representations.
Get in touch if you're interested in how brain circuits implement distributed computation, including dopamine-based distributed RL and probabilistic representations.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
I read the caption first and thought the illusion might be because the y-axis was on a log scale, but it's not!
My brain was bamboozled regardless.
My brain was bamboozled regardless.
November 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM
I read the caption first and thought the illusion might be because the y-axis was on a log scale, but it's not!
My brain was bamboozled regardless.
My brain was bamboozled regardless.
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Overheard at #SfN25: “It’s up to us to reflect the truth.”
“This is not a sprint, this is not a marathon, this is a relay.” (Advocate for science, and when you get tired, let someone else do it for a while, then get involved again…
#StandUpForScience #SciPolicy #Advocacy #Neuroscience #Neurosky
“This is not a sprint, this is not a marathon, this is a relay.” (Advocate for science, and when you get tired, let someone else do it for a while, then get involved again…
#StandUpForScience #SciPolicy #Advocacy #Neuroscience #Neurosky
November 18, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Overheard at #SfN25: “It’s up to us to reflect the truth.”
“This is not a sprint, this is not a marathon, this is a relay.” (Advocate for science, and when you get tired, let someone else do it for a while, then get involved again…
#StandUpForScience #SciPolicy #Advocacy #Neuroscience #Neurosky
“This is not a sprint, this is not a marathon, this is a relay.” (Advocate for science, and when you get tired, let someone else do it for a while, then get involved again…
#StandUpForScience #SciPolicy #Advocacy #Neuroscience #Neurosky
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
A remarkable journey of resilience and transformation, from the chaotic corridors of group homes to the halls of Columbia and Stanford, EMERGENCE is a coming-of-age tale where heartbreak and humor meet the scientific wonder of modern artificial intelligence.
🔗 Preorder: tinyurl.com/fzcxb5ea
🔗 Preorder: tinyurl.com/fzcxb5ea
November 17, 2025 at 6:08 PM
A remarkable journey of resilience and transformation, from the chaotic corridors of group homes to the halls of Columbia and Stanford, EMERGENCE is a coming-of-age tale where heartbreak and humor meet the scientific wonder of modern artificial intelligence.
🔗 Preorder: tinyurl.com/fzcxb5ea
🔗 Preorder: tinyurl.com/fzcxb5ea
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Since so many people are here for #sfn25 this week, maybe a good time to mention the algorithmic “For You” feed:
bsky.app/profile/did:...
which shows you posts that people who liked the same things as you liked 🫧📌
bsky.app/profile/did:...
which shows you posts that people who liked the same things as you liked 🫧📌
Welcome to the ✨For You✨ feed!
It finds people who liked the same posts as you, and shows you what else they've liked recently.
📌 Pin to add it to your top bar
❤️ Like the feed and repost to spread the goodness
It finds people who liked the same posts as you, and shows you what else they've liked recently.
📌 Pin to add it to your top bar
❤️ Like the feed and repost to spread the goodness
November 18, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Since so many people are here for #sfn25 this week, maybe a good time to mention the algorithmic “For You” feed:
bsky.app/profile/did:...
which shows you posts that people who liked the same things as you liked 🫧📌
bsky.app/profile/did:...
which shows you posts that people who liked the same things as you liked 🫧📌
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
After initially being place on the reserve list, my Academy Research Fellowship has now received a positive result from the Research Council of Finland 🥳 Next year I will be starting my own team where we will work on identifying new interoception-based treatment targets for mental health disorders!
November 17, 2025 at 7:16 AM
After initially being place on the reserve list, my Academy Research Fellowship has now received a positive result from the Research Council of Finland 🥳 Next year I will be starting my own team where we will work on identifying new interoception-based treatment targets for mental health disorders!
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
Excited to be at #SfN25! Come catch my poster “Neural dimensionality expands over the course of brain-computer interface learning” wed PM (W15) if you’re interested in non-invasive BCIs, neural manifolds, human learning, etc. Building upon our recent work (doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.29.646109)
Accelerated learning of a noninvasive human brain-computer interface via manifold geometry
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) promise to restore and enhance a wide range of human capabilities. However, a barrier to the adoption of BCIs is how long it can take users to learn to control them. W...
www.biorxiv.org
November 16, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Excited to be at #SfN25! Come catch my poster “Neural dimensionality expands over the course of brain-computer interface learning” wed PM (W15) if you’re interested in non-invasive BCIs, neural manifolds, human learning, etc. Building upon our recent work (doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.29.646109)
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
🧠Our new preprint is out on PsyArXiv!
We study how getting more feedback (seeing what you could have earned) and facing gains vs losses change the way people choose between risky and safe options.
🖇️Link: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
It's a thread🧶:
We study how getting more feedback (seeing what you could have earned) and facing gains vs losses change the way people choose between risky and safe options.
🖇️Link: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
It's a thread🧶:
November 16, 2025 at 12:09 PM
🧠Our new preprint is out on PsyArXiv!
We study how getting more feedback (seeing what you could have earned) and facing gains vs losses change the way people choose between risky and safe options.
🖇️Link: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
It's a thread🧶:
We study how getting more feedback (seeing what you could have earned) and facing gains vs losses change the way people choose between risky and safe options.
🖇️Link: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
It's a thread🧶:
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
I’m off to #SfN2025! Grateful for the TPDA sponsor from @sfn.org. I will present in two sessions, details below.
I’m seeking 2026 postdoc positions to continue research in animal cognition/naturalistic behaviors—if you’re looking for a neuroethologist and a mouse whisperer, come to see me!
I’m seeking 2026 postdoc positions to continue research in animal cognition/naturalistic behaviors—if you’re looking for a neuroethologist and a mouse whisperer, come to see me!
November 14, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Joao Barbosa
1. New preprint resolving a conundrum in systems neuroscience with an AI scientist, and humans Reilly Tilbury, Dabin Kwon, @haydari.bsky.social, @jacobmratliff.bsky.social, @bio-emergent.bsky.social, @carandinilab.net, @kevinjmiller.bsky.social, @neurokim.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Characterizing neuronal population geometry with AI equation discovery
The visual cortex contains millions of neurons, whose combined activity forms a population code representing visual stimuli. There is, however, a discrepancy between our understanding of this code at ...
www.biorxiv.org
November 14, 2025 at 6:07 PM
1. New preprint resolving a conundrum in systems neuroscience with an AI scientist, and humans Reilly Tilbury, Dabin Kwon, @haydari.bsky.social, @jacobmratliff.bsky.social, @bio-emergent.bsky.social, @carandinilab.net, @kevinjmiller.bsky.social, @neurokim.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...