I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Computational Neuroscience Initiative in University of Pennsylvania, with Prof. Johannes Burge. I work on computational modeling of visual perception and neural activity, with a focus on understanding how the brain processes natural visual inputs.

I received my PhD in Neuroscience from the Faculty of Sciences at Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Uruguay, in collaboration with Ruben Coen-Cagli at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In my PhD I used psychophysics and computational modeling to study naturalistic texture perception. Before that, I got my BSc in Biochemistry, also from UdelaR.

Research interests

Natural visual inputs are high dimensional, complex and ambiguous. However, the brain makes sense of them in order to perceive the world. I’m interested in understanding what are the computational challenges of seeing the natural world, and how the brain solves them.

To study these questions, I use computational modeling of natural image statistics, of visual observers, and of neural activity. Some of the tools that I currently use include probabilistic models, signal processing and geometrical data analysis. I have also used psychophysics to answer questions about perceptual organization with naturalistic images.

Besides neuroscience, I am interested in statistical modeling of real world data in general. I have applied Bayesian modeling to epidemiological data during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to different publications and technical reports with real-world applicability. I enjoy crossing the boundaries between fields and learning new skills every so often, within and outside of neuroscience.

Lastly, I am interested in the use of open science practices to make research more transparent, reproducible and accessible.

Teaching

I have held teaching positions at UdelaR uninterruptedly from 2013 to 2022, and I am passionate about teaching.

I have TA’d, lectured, and participated in designing courses in the fields of biochemistry, neuroscience, statistics and machine learning, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. I have also mentored undergraduate students in year-long research projects.

Personal interests

Outside of research, I enjoy surfing, being outdoors, playing music and reading. Also visiting my home country, Uruguay, a hidden gem in South America where I learned to do science.

Uruguay in the America invertida painting by Joaquín Torres-García

My best wave yet