People

	Ann Kennedy, Principal Investigator ann.kennedy@northwestern.edu | @Antihebbiann About Ann
	Arin Pamukcu, Postdoctoral Researcher arin@u.northwestern.edu | @arinpamukcu I am a postdoc in the Kennedy Lab. I did my PhD studies with Savio Chan at the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, studying the circuit partners of external globus pallidus neuron subtypes and their role in motor control. Before that, I received my BS in Neuroscience in 2013 from Duke University, where I’ve worked with Cagla Eroglu on the astrocytic regulation of thalamo-cortical synapse formation. Outside of lab, I enjoy spending time outdoors, playing tennis, running, and making music.
	Richard Gast, Postdoctoral Researcher richard.gast@northwestern.edu | @rich_gast | Website I recently started my postdoc in the Kennedy Lab, after finishing my PhD with Thomas Knoesche at the Brain Networks Group of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. My research is focused on the relationships between neural structure, function and behavior, with a special focus on basal ganglia function and dysfunction. To gain insight into these brain systems, I mostly employ dynamical systems methods and artificial neural network modeling.
	Amadeus Maes, Postdoctoral Researcher amadeus.maes@northwestern.edu I am a postdoc in the Kennedy lab. I obtained my PhD at Imperial College London under the supervision of Claudia Clopath, working on computational models of learning in spiking networks. I am interested in leveraging theoretical ideas and methods to improve our understanding of the link between neural activity and behavior. Special attention is hereby given to the variety of time scales at which the activity and behavior exist. My research focuses in this context on the hypothalamus, which displays rich dynamics and is implicated in complex social behaviors.
	Sebastian Malagon Perez, Graduate Student s7e1d8@u.northwestern.edu I am currently a graduate student in the NUIN program at Northwestern University. Prior to this, I gained valuable research experience at the Sensorimotor Integration lab located at the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal, working under the supervision of Eugenia Chiappe. My research is primarily centered on the application of computational tools for the analysis of animal behavior, with a particular focus on unveiling behavior patterns across various time scales. This approach allows us to gain insights into the internal states of animals during social interactions, shedding light on the computations and neural correlates within various nuclei in the hypothalamus. Outside the lab I get lost in nature, swim and dive with my GoPro, play volleyball, and search for hidden gems of food.
	Ruize Yang, Graduate Student RuizeYang2027@u.northwestern.edu I am a graduate student in the Kennedy lab. I received my BS in Biology from Tsinghua University and MS in Bioinformatics from Georgia Tech. I am interested in applying different methods to analyze animal behavior and its connection to neural activity. Outside the lab, I enjoy movies, music, books, and minesweeper.
	Andrew Ulmer, Graduate Student andrew.ulmer@northwestern.edu I am a graduate student co-advised by Ann Kennedy and Josh Glaser. I currently work on dimensionality reduction techniques for both neural and behavioral data. Prior to joining Ann’s lab as a technician in 2021, I worked under a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the NSF, where my focus was building anonymized computer vision methods for tracking pedestrians on large properties. I completed my undergraduate studies in computer engineering at Purdue University. Outside of the lab, I love making music, running, backpacking, cooking, and playing games.
	Ryan Lu, Graduate Student ryan.lu@northwestern.edu I’m a graduate-phase MD/PhD student in the lab. I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2020 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. There, I spent time studying the head direction network with Dr. Kechen Zhang. I am broadly interested in utilizing network models to understand neural computation and behavior. Outside of lab, I enjoy running, rock climbing, cooking, reading, and photography.
	Venus Sherathiya, Staff Scientist venus.sherathiya@northwestern.edu My work in Kennedy lab involves developing new tools and updating current tools for the lab. I did my Master’s in Computer Engineering from New York University. My interest involves developing efficient and effective tools which can help people in their research.
	Kevin Bodkin, Staff Scientist kevin.bodkin@northwestern.edu My primary interest is exploring where neuroscience and engineering meet to examine how the brain works. Before joining the Kennedy Lab, I worked for many years in Professor Lee Miller’s Lab researching voluntary control of hand and arm movements and Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) with Non-Human Primates. I have a Masters of Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder.