Muller Lab

We are a group of applied mathematicians and neuroscientists whose aim is to understand how the fine-scale dynamics of neural populations translates to perception and cognition.

Lyle Muller

Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics

Western Institute for Neuroscience

Western University

Lyle Muller's research spans neuroscience, computational modeling, and applied mathematics. His work centers on developing new approaches to large-scale recordings of neural population dynamics in cortex. After studying computational neuroscience at Brown University, Lyle completed a PhD in computational/theoretical neuroscience with Alain Destexhe (CNRS Gif-sur-Yvette). He then moved to San Diego for postdoctoral research with Terry Sejnowski in the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory (CNL) at the Salk Institute.

Ján Mináč

Collaborator

Professor, Department of Mathematics

Western University

Ján Mináč is a Fellow of the Canadian Mathematical Society and was awarded the 2013 Canadian Mathematical Society Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Mináč is an expert in Galois theory, exploring the links between field theory and group theory and examining fundamental notions of symmetry in nature. In collaboration with Dr. Muller, Dr. Mináč is applying and developing techniques in discrete mathematics to understand networked systems in neuroscience.

Roberto C. Budzinski

Postdoctoral Scholar

Department of Mathematics

Western Institute for Neuroscience

Western University

Roberto is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Mathematics and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. His research interests consist of computational neuroscience, nonlinear dynamics applied to neuroscience, and systems neuroscience. Roberto has a Ph.D. in Physics from Federal University of Paraná (Brazil) with research related to the synchronization of neural systems. He currently works on persistent neural activity and working memory, focusing on computational analysis and network mechanisms.

Arthur Powanwe

Postdoctoral Scholar

Department of Mathematics

Western Institute for Neuroscience

Western University

Arthur is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Mathematics and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is interested in research at the intersection of nonlinear dynamics, computational neuroscience, data analysis and machine learning. He received his PhD in physics and computational neuroscience from University of Ottawa (Canada) where he studied the dynamics and function of brain rhythms. He now focuses on memory consolidation and learning during sleep in humans, and sophisticated spatiotemporal dynamics (chimeras and travelling waves) of brain networks and machine learning.

Lawrence Oprea

Postdoctoral Scholar

Department of Mathematics

Western Institute for Neuroscience

Western University

Lawrence is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Mathematics and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. Lawrence has a Master's in Neuroscience and a PhD in Physiology from McGill University. His research interests include simulation of neuronal dynamics and machine learning applied to neuroscientific data. He is currently working on spatiotemporal dynamics in neural recordings and spiking neural networks.

Alex Busch

Doctoral Student

Neuroscience Program

Western University

Alex is a PhD candidate in the neuroscience program. Her research focuses on developing new methods for analyzing spatiotemporal patterns in large-scale neural population recordings. In particular, she is interested in developing mathematical approaches for spike-time patterns. She began studying computational neuroscience when she joined the lab for her MSc in Applied Mathematics, before which she completed a BA in Mathematics and Arts & Humanities at Western.

Aishwarya Pathak

Doctoral Student

Neuroscience Program

Western University

Aishwarya completed her Bachelor of Science with specialization in Zoology from Pune University and her Master of Science in Neuroscience from University College London (UCL). Her prior research has focused on using neuroimaging techniques and bioinformatics data analysis to explore the link between brain aging, obesity and Alzheimer's Disease. Aishwarya's research in the lab aims to use signal processing, computational modeling, and neuroimaging to study neural dynamics during sleep, development, and age-related neurodegeneration.

Esther Yartey

Doctoral Student [co-supervised with Ján Mináč]

Department of Mathematics

Western University

Esther completed her Bachelor of Science with a major in Mathematics at University of Ghana, a Master's degree in Mathematical Sciences at African Institute for Mathematical Sciences-Cameroon, and her Master of Science in Computational Sciences at Laurentian University. She is using her expertise in computational science, graph theory, matrix computations, and high-performance computing to find new, innovative computational techniques and mathematical models for structure in brain networks.

Priya Bucha Jain

Doctoral Student [co-supervised with Ján Mináč]

Department of Mathematics

Western University

Priya completed her Integrated Master of Science in Mathematics at Tezpur University with a gold medal and her Master of Science in Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario. Her research interests include Network Theory, study of Motifs, and Spectral Graph Theory and wishes to apply these and her experience in Pure Mathematics in the study of Neural Systems.

Mohamad Ali Kesserwan

Doctoral Student

Neuroscience Program

Western University

Mohamad completed his Bachelor of Science with specialization in Human Biology from the University of Toronto. He then completed his Doctor of Medicine at McMaster Univerity, where he is currently completing his residency in Neurosurgery. Through McMaster's Clinician Investigator Program, Mohamad was able to join our lab to pursue a doctorate in computational neuroscience. Mohamad is particularly interested in advancing brain-machine interfaces to empower patients with neurological disabilities.

Erwan Martin

Doctoral Student

Neuroscience Program

Western University

Erwan completed his Master's degree in the Neuroscience program of Paris Descartes University where he used patch clamp electrophysiology to characterise a neural population involved in spatial orientation. For his PhD, Erwan is studying the interaction between single neuron intrinsic properties and network dynamics using in vitro patch clamp and large scale computational network models.

Christopher Steward

Doctoral Student

Department of Computer Science

Western University

Christopher completed his Honors Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Computer Science from Western University. His research interests are in high performance computing, machine learning, scientific computing, and computer hardware (GPUs, FPGAs), and theoretical computer science. He is working to use his knowledge of computer science and programming to improve and speed up neural network simulations with the newest technology and algorithmic techniques.

LAB ALUMS