Speakers

Dr. Viktor Jirsa

Director of the Institut de Neuroscience des Systèmes

Originally trained in Theoretical Physics and Philosophy in the 1990s, Dr. Jirsa has made contributions to the understanding of how network structure constrains the emergence of functional dynamics using methods from nonlinear dynamic system theory and computational neuroscience. Dr. Jirsa has been awarded several international and national awards for his research including the Francois Erbsmann Prize in 2001, NASPSPA Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award in 2004, and Grand Prix de Recherche de Provence in 2018. He serves on various Editorial Boards and has published more than 150 scientific articles and book chapters, as well as co-edited several books including the Handbook of Brain Connectivity. Dr. Jirsa is one of the Lead Scientists in the Human Brain Project and The Virtual Brain.

Dr. Michael Breakspear

Director of the Systems Neuroscience Group

Michael Breakspear is a distinguished researcher and group leader of the Systems Neuroscience Group. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Sydney, where he also obtained a Bachelor of Science (Medical) (Honours), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. His expertise lies in computational neuroscience and translational neuroimaging. In the realm of computational neuroscience, Michael's contributions are focused on dynamic models of large-scale brain activity, the development of toolboxes, and the detection of nonlinear dynamics in empirical data. In the field of translational imaging, his work encompasses various areas such as healthy aging, dementia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, with a specific emphasis on connectomics and risk prediction. Alongside his research career, Michael has also pursued training in psychiatry. He combines his clinical sessions in adult psychiatry with his research pursuits, focusing on recovery-focused treatment of mood disorders, psychosis, and addiction. With his diverse background and multifaceted expertise, Michael Breakspear continues to make significant contributions to the fields of computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and clinical psychiatry. His work bridges the gap between theoretical models and real-world applications, aiming to advance our understanding of brain function and improve mental health outcomes.

Sorenza Bastiaens

Ph.D. Candidate

Sorenza is a Ph.D. Candidate at GriffLab in Toronto with a background in Biomedical Engineering. She completed her M.Eng. degree at Imperial College London, where she excelled in analyzing various cortico-cortical and corticothalamic models. Sorenza's primary research focus lies in mathematical modeling of large-scale brain network dynamics, specifically investigating the measured alpha oscillations observed in EEG data. Additionally, she is keen on exploring how brain stimulation techniques can influence these networks, as this knowledge is essential for advancing treatments for neurological disorders. With her expertise in computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and signal processing, Sorenza applies advanced analytical techniques to explore the intricate relationship between brain activity and aging or neurodegenerative processes. Her work aims to shed light on the specific changes in brain dynamics that occur in these contexts, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Through her research, she strives to advance our understanding of brain function and its implications for age-related conditions, paving the way for improved treatments and interventions.

Dr. Joana Cabral

Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Joana Cabral is an outstanding researcher with expertise in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. With a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Cabral is currently an Assistant Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute. Her research focuses on understanding the fundamental principles of brain function and their implications for psychiatric disorders. Dr. Cabral employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining advanced analytical tools and large-scale brain models to investigate resting-state brain activity. Specializing in Computational Modeling and Neuroimaging, she emphasizes Psychophysiology and Psychopathology research. Her pioneering work led to the development of the LEiDA algorithm, which identifies key features in whole-brain dynamics related to cognitive and behavioral conditions. Dr. Cabral has made significant contributions to the field and has been recognized for her achievements, including receiving the prestigious 2019 L’Oréal Award for Women in Science Portugal. Her research holds great potential for providing new insights and advancements in understanding brain function, ultimately improving mental health outcomes.

Dr. James Pang

​Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

James Pang received his PhD in Physics from the University of Sydney and completed his postdoctoral training in the Brain Modelling Group at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. He is currently a Research Fellow at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences. Dr. Pang's research employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines biophysical models, neuroimaging, and connectivity to better understand the mechanisms of brain function in health, disease, and across species. His innovative work in these areas has been recognized with the prestigious NHMRC EL1 Fellowship. Dr. Pang's contributions are advancing our understanding of brain function and have significant implications for both clinical applications and fundamental neuroscience.

Dr. Davide Momi

​Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Davide Momi is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow affiliated both at Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab at Stanford University and th GriffLab at CAMH (Toronto). Dr. Momi obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences at the University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti. During his doctoral studies, he had the opportunity to conduct research as a visiting Ph.D. student at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Momi has extensive experience in analyzing multimodal neuroimaging data, brain stimulation applications, electrophysiology and machine learning. Additionally, Dr. Momi has a growing passion for simulating network-level macroscale brain dynamics. The overarching objective of his project is to advance our ability to predict brain stimulation outcomes through the integration of computational, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological approaches.

Dr. Josefina Cruzat

Assistant Professor

Josefina Cruzat is an Assistant Professor at The Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat). She holds a PhD in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience and two MSc degrees in Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology, and Brain and Cognition. Dr. Cruzat's research focuses on the organization of the human brain into large-scale networks, which flexibly adjust their functional connectivity to support cognitive functions and integrate relevant information for goal-directed behavior. She is keenly interested in understanding the general principles underlying brain function to elucidate how the mind emerges from the brain’s functional organization. Her research aims to characterize the fundamental biophysical mechanisms and principles underlying intrinsic brain states and higher cognitive functions in health, and their breakdown in disease. To achieve this, Dr. Cruzat combines behavioral and neuroimaging data analysis with in silico generative mathematical modeling. Dr. Cruzat’s approach will help identify and link brain states, in terms of large-scale cortical network dynamics, with states of mind. This research has the potential to offer biomarkers for diagnosis and enable novel therapeutic interventions to treat dysfunctional mental states.

Dr. Andreea Diaconescu

Director of Cognemo Lab

Dr. Andreea Diaconescu is a scientist at the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Dr. Diaconescu is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto with cross-appointments with the Institute of Medical Science and the Department of Psychology, and a member of the Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology. After completing her PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto, Dr. Diaconescu held a postdoctoral position at the Translational Neuromodeling Unit, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. There, she developed and applied (neuro)computational models of learning and decision-making to understand the emergence and persistence of delusions in psychoaffective disorders such as schizophrenia. Dr. Diaconescu's research is centered on the clinical validation of (neuro)computational models of learning and decision-making for predicting psychosocial functioning and treatment response in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis. Moreover, Dr. Diaconescu is engaged in the identification of cognition- and neuroimaging-based transdiagnostic predictors of suicidality.