Justin Fine
@justfineneuro.bsky.social
Barely cognitive professor(ish)
Baylor College of Medicine.
Baylor College of Medicine.
Reposted by Justin Fine
Data Science Influencer: “Alright everyone, it’s pride 🌈🌈month✨✨✨, so you know what that means: ranking the machine learning algorithms by how gay they are”
June 2, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Data Science Influencer: “Alright everyone, it’s pride 🌈🌈month✨✨✨, so you know what that means: ranking the machine learning algorithms by how gay they are”
I’m just waiting for the next W.H. announcement to be “It's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes”
April 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I’m just waiting for the next W.H. announcement to be “It's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes”
#neuroskyence GLM/GAM are used for neural tuning estimation. I made updates to an easy to use python lib. Supports splines, and regs. and likelihood combos not readily available (ARD , Bayesian Group Lasso, etc), (poisson, neg binomial, gauss, zeroinf). Jax/NumPyro for high-D bayes. Linked
BayesBrain
Bayesian Generalized linear modeling and GAMs utilizing NumPyro
pypi.org
April 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
#neuroskyence GLM/GAM are used for neural tuning estimation. I made updates to an easy to use python lib. Supports splines, and regs. and likelihood combos not readily available (ARD , Bayesian Group Lasso, etc), (poisson, neg binomial, gauss, zeroinf). Jax/NumPyro for high-D bayes. Linked
I could not have done this without the sweat and immense effort driven by a whole team of people. @assiachericoni.bsky.social in particular.
New lab paper led by @justfineneuro.bsky.social
"Complementary roles for hippocampus and anterior cingulate in composing continuous choice”, now on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
"Complementary roles for hippocampus and anterior cingulate in composing continuous choice”, now on bioRxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Complementary roles for hippocampus and anterior cingulate in composing continuous choice
Naturalistic, goal directed behavior often requires continuous actions directed at dynamically changing goals. In this context, the closest analogue to choice is a strategic reweighting of multiple go...
www.biorxiv.org
March 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I could not have done this without the sweat and immense effort driven by a whole team of people. @assiachericoni.bsky.social in particular.
Reposted by Justin Fine
Excited to share our latest preprint with @camillopadoasch.bsky.social and Xiao-Jing Wang! We present a biologically plausible framework showing how neural circuits compute & compare value to drive flexible economic decision making.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A Neural Circuit Framework for Economic Choice: From Building Blocks of Valuation to Compositionality in Multitasking
Value-guided decisions are at the core of reinforcement learning and neuroeconomics, yet the basic computations they require remain poorly understood at the mechanistic level. For instance, how does t...
www.biorxiv.org
March 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Excited to share our latest preprint with @camillopadoasch.bsky.social and Xiao-Jing Wang! We present a biologically plausible framework showing how neural circuits compute & compare value to drive flexible economic decision making.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Justin Fine
If you identify as a Jewish member of the academic community, and are appalled by the actions being taken in the name of defending our community, please consider signing this letter (which can be done anonymously) and also sharing it with others:
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
Open letter in response to federal funding cuts at Columbia
On March 7th, the Trump administration announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. This includes funding from the Departm...
forms.gle
March 12, 2025 at 7:13 PM
If you identify as a Jewish member of the academic community, and are appalled by the actions being taken in the name of defending our community, please consider signing this letter (which can be done anonymously) and also sharing it with others:
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
Reposted by Justin Fine
the authoritarianism is bad, but the loser energy is absolutely intolerable
March 11, 2025 at 9:11 PM
the authoritarianism is bad, but the loser energy is absolutely intolerable
Reposted by Justin Fine
New Lab Preprint! "Independent Continuous Tracking of Multiple Agents in the Human Hippocampus" led by my graduate student Assia Chericoni.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Independent Continuous Tracking of Multiple Agents in the Human Hippocampus
The pursuit of fleeing prey is a core element of many species behavioral repertoires. It poses the difficult problem of continuous tracking of multiple agents, including both self and others. To under...
www.biorxiv.org
March 11, 2025 at 10:35 AM
New Lab Preprint! "Independent Continuous Tracking of Multiple Agents in the Human Hippocampus" led by my graduate student Assia Chericoni.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
👏
Many neuroscience students are steeped in an experiment-first style of thinking that leads to “random walk science.” Let’s not forget how theory can guide experiments towards deeper insights, writes @gershbrain.bsky.social.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/theoretical-...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/theoretical-...
Breaking the barrier between theorists and experimentalists
Many neuroscience students are steeped in an experiment-first style of thinking. Let’s not forget how theory can guide experiments.
www.thetransmitter.org
February 27, 2025 at 12:58 PM
👏
This is really cool!
Can LLMs be used to discover interpretable models of human and animal behavior?🤔
Turns out: yes!
Thrilled to share our latest preprint where we used FunSearch to automatically discover symbolic cognitive models of behavior.
1/12
Turns out: yes!
Thrilled to share our latest preprint where we used FunSearch to automatically discover symbolic cognitive models of behavior.
1/12
February 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
This is really cool!
Reposted by Justin Fine
What’s the minimal amount of time I have to write before I play Elden? Asking for a friend.
February 3, 2025 at 8:32 PM
What’s the minimal amount of time I have to write before I play Elden? Asking for a friend.
Do you want to fit nonlinear tuning curves, using Poisson (GAM/GLM) models, but want flexible basis functions, Bayesian machinery, and smoothing and regularization of penalized splines. I wanted a bayesian approach in a modern framework (Pyro). Without guarantee github.com/JustFineNeur...
GitHub - JustFineNeuro/neuroglm: Generalized Linear Model
Generalized Linear Model. Contribute to JustFineNeuro/neuroglm development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
January 14, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Do you want to fit nonlinear tuning curves, using Poisson (GAM/GLM) models, but want flexible basis functions, Bayesian machinery, and smoothing and regularization of penalized splines. I wanted a bayesian approach in a modern framework (Pyro). Without guarantee github.com/JustFineNeur...
Reposted by Justin Fine
I would like to highlight a somewhat tangential finding here:
We found clear evidence for clusters in the encoding geometry of natural images and a decision making task (in mice and monkeys).
I think this speaks in favor of modular brains in both species.
We found clear evidence for clusters in the encoding geometry of natural images and a decision making task (in mice and monkeys).
I think this speaks in favor of modular brains in both species.
January 12, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I would like to highlight a somewhat tangential finding here:
We found clear evidence for clusters in the encoding geometry of natural images and a decision making task (in mice and monkeys).
I think this speaks in favor of modular brains in both species.
We found clear evidence for clusters in the encoding geometry of natural images and a decision making task (in mice and monkeys).
I think this speaks in favor of modular brains in both species.
🙌 this has been a tough lesson for me, as I transitioned from cog sci to sys neuro. I feel like I’m shoehorning in analysis merely for attentional capture.
I love tiny museums that focus a visitor's attention on one or a few works. Sometimes I dream of scientific papers with a similar design principle. But whenever I try to write such papers, the reviewers seem shocked by the sparseness and simplicity. I'm out of step with these maximalist times.
January 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
🙌 this has been a tough lesson for me, as I transitioned from cog sci to sys neuro. I feel like I’m shoehorning in analysis merely for attentional capture.
My first
@cosynemeeting.bsky.social meeting abstract for me submitted and accepted, nice.
@cosynemeeting.bsky.social meeting abstract for me submitted and accepted, nice.
December 24, 2024 at 2:43 PM
My first
@cosynemeeting.bsky.social meeting abstract for me submitted and accepted, nice.
@cosynemeeting.bsky.social meeting abstract for me submitted and accepted, nice.
most people aren’t defining their subspaces. Take the issue of PCA. If experiment cond A pushes a latent to have higher variance than condition B, comparing the two artificially thru alignment artificially inflates “orthogonaliy”. Better to define geometry based on variables and decompose.
Diversity of responses to this also makes me curious: what do you assume a paper is saying if it says a neural population is using 'orthogonal subspaces'? Or what analyses would you say are needed to make this claim?
What papers do you like that demonstrate the use of 'orthogonal subspaces' for encoding information in neural populations? #neuroskyence #compneuro #neuroAI
December 24, 2024 at 2:42 AM
most people aren’t defining their subspaces. Take the issue of PCA. If experiment cond A pushes a latent to have higher variance than condition B, comparing the two artificially thru alignment artificially inflates “orthogonaliy”. Better to define geometry based on variables and decompose.
Reposted by Justin Fine
Can the motor system use sensory expectations to prepare for unexpected events?
Excited to share my latest work with @andpru.bsky.social – where we establish that sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits!
🧵 and paper below
1/
Excited to share my latest work with @andpru.bsky.social – where we establish that sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits!
🧵 and paper below
1/
December 23, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Can the motor system use sensory expectations to prepare for unexpected events?
Excited to share my latest work with @andpru.bsky.social – where we establish that sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits!
🧵 and paper below
1/
Excited to share my latest work with @andpru.bsky.social – where we establish that sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits!
🧵 and paper below
1/
Reposted by Justin Fine
Fresh out: a short review article where I give an overview of different ways that across-trial temporal structure is helpful in understanding cognitive models of decision-making
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
December 11, 2024 at 1:25 PM
Fresh out: a short review article where I give an overview of different ways that across-trial temporal structure is helpful in understanding cognitive models of decision-making
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Has anybody made a variant of a demixed dim red that is DS based, with high interpretability? basically pitching demixed LDS with Nonlinear approximated inputs? #neuroskyence
November 26, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Has anybody made a variant of a demixed dim red that is DS based, with high interpretability? basically pitching demixed LDS with Nonlinear approximated inputs? #neuroskyence
A lot of musing about how manifolds replace tuning. But I’d like to argue this is slight misdirection. You don’t get manifolds absent tuning/connectictivity/neuromodulation. Manifolds not in lieu of tuning, but they are independent in so far multiple tunings can render isomorphic manifolds.
November 23, 2024 at 6:24 PM
A lot of musing about how manifolds replace tuning. But I’d like to argue this is slight misdirection. You don’t get manifolds absent tuning/connectictivity/neuromodulation. Manifolds not in lieu of tuning, but they are independent in so far multiple tunings can render isomorphic manifolds.
I’m happy someone said this. I saw a few packs that had people on it, that don’t even do that research (but I do). But I also suck at self-promoting. Maybe gotta find the bravery to ask for a seat at the proverbial table.
I am a bit afraid the whole Starter Pack business leaves behind trainees — make sure to follow / repost them if their work interests you so their voices are heard #PsychSciSky #neuroskyence #compneurosky
November 21, 2024 at 5:15 PM
I’m happy someone said this. I saw a few packs that had people on it, that don’t even do that research (but I do). But I also suck at self-promoting. Maybe gotta find the bravery to ask for a seat at the proverbial table.
Reposted by Justin Fine
I am a bit afraid the whole Starter Pack business leaves behind trainees — make sure to follow / repost them if their work interests you so their voices are heard #PsychSciSky #neuroskyence #compneurosky
November 21, 2024 at 7:45 AM
I am a bit afraid the whole Starter Pack business leaves behind trainees — make sure to follow / repost them if their work interests you so their voices are heard #PsychSciSky #neuroskyence #compneurosky
Reposted by Justin Fine
Random opinion: stochastic optimal control theory is underrated in NeuroAI and theoretical neuro.
It's one of the most general and useful frameworks out there. Lots of beautiful math and solid proofs. More people should apply it to neuroscience... 🧠🤖
It's one of the most general and useful frameworks out there. Lots of beautiful math and solid proofs. More people should apply it to neuroscience... 🧠🤖
November 20, 2024 at 12:20 AM
Random opinion: stochastic optimal control theory is underrated in NeuroAI and theoretical neuro.
It's one of the most general and useful frameworks out there. Lots of beautiful math and solid proofs. More people should apply it to neuroscience... 🧠🤖
It's one of the most general and useful frameworks out there. Lots of beautiful math and solid proofs. More people should apply it to neuroscience... 🧠🤖
Who made numpyro? I want to send them a gift basket.
November 9, 2024 at 4:23 AM
Who made numpyro? I want to send them a gift basket.