Hello World!

I am currently pursuing a PhD at the intersection of Computational and Systems Neuroscience, focusing on understanding emotional memory through data analysis and computational modeling. Check out some of the projects I’ve been working on or follow me on Twitter!

What am I up to?

I am conducting my doctoral research under the supervision of Gabrielle Girardeau (Girardeau Lab) at the Fer à Moulin site of NeuroSU (Centre de Neuroscience de Sorbonne Université), which integrates the former Institut du Fer à Moulin (IFM) with the Neuroscience Department of the Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS). I was part of the former PhD program at the Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (i-Bio) at Sorbonne University, which funded 1 year of rotations and 3 years of my PhD. I was subsequently awarded the FRM Fin de Thèse fellowship (Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale) to fund my 4th and last year of PhD.

Current Project: Unraveling Sleep Dynamics and Emotional Memory
My doctoral research aims to shed deeper light on the neural mechanisms underlying REM sleep and emotional memory consolidation, and it is structured into two main components:

1. Data Analysis & Sleep-Focus Dynamics
   The first part of my project involves analyzing in-vivo electrophysiological data to investigate the distinct, mechanistic roles of REM and NREM sleep in emotional memory consolidation and synaptic homeostasis. Rather than treating sleep as a monolithic homeostatic process, we are currently working on a paper that conceptualizes sleep-focus dynamics across macro- and micro-scales, exploring how neural state selectivity and sleep transitions influence cognitive recovery and memory formation.

2. Wilson-Cowan Neural Mass Modeling
   To complement the experimental data, the second part of my research focuses on developing a comprehensive Python framework for simulating and analyzing Wilson-Cowan neural mass models. This involves building scalable batch simulation pipelines for cluster computing, integrating advanced numerical solvers (such as RK45), and utilizing metaheuristic algorithms like Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to fit complex model parameters to our time-series data.

Lab Rotations
During my pre-doc year, I completed three laboratory rotations:

1. REM Sleep — “Leveraging machine learning and neural field modeling to understand the role of REM sleep in emotional memory consolidation and homeostasis”
2. Gene Expression — “Regulation of gene expression coupled to cell growth and division in bacterial adaptation processes”
3. C.I.T.R.O.N.S — “Dissecting how excitable ependymal cells participate in locomotor rhythms using an all-optical approach”

Beyond the academy

I’m Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. But, I’m currently running around Paris and will run the New York Marathon in 2026! I’m documenting this process in my OnlyRuns!