Seminar Series
We invite world-renowned scientists and philosophers to present their research to the Yale community. Previous speakers have included Ned Block, Carolina Sartorio, Grace Lindsay, and Matthias Michel.
Journal Club
Formed in the summer of 2022 as a weekly interdisciplinary journal club by graduate students in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Yale University, APHINE enjoys strong interest from all career levels of the neuroscience community. We host weekly journal clubs in which we read papers covering a wide range of topics in neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology.
Workshops
We organize workshops to build a community of graduate students across disciplines and universities interested in the philosophy of neuroscience. Past events have included panel discussions of philosophy Ph.D. students from Duke University, University of Pittsburgh, and SUNY.
Leadership
Alec Sheffield
Natalia Castelo Branco
Alec Sheffield
Alec Sheffield is a 4th year Ph.D. student specializing in computational neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding the computational principles underlying visual perception in primates. Alec examines the ventral visual stream in non-human primates to gain insights into the robustness and flexibility of primate visual cognition.
Alec Sheffield is a 4th year Ph.D. student specializing in computational neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding the computational principles underlying visual perception in primates. Alec examines the ventral visual stream in non-human primates to gain insights into the robustness and flexibility of primate visual cognition. His work aims to explore the broader implications for neocortical function and brain computation. Before graduate school, Alec studied non-invasive brain stimulation in humans and worked as a research assistant in the Choi Lab at MIT. He is ultimately interested in applying principles of computational neuroscience to design intelligent neuroprosthetics.
Clayton Barnes
Natalia Castelo Branco
Alec Sheffield
Clayton Barnes's quest to understand the emergence of thoughts from physical interactions led him to pursue an interdisciplinary approach early, joining a lab prior to his university studies. With a B.S. in Neuroscience, and minors in philosophy and mathematics, he is now a 5th year Ph.D. candidate investigating the spatiotemporal dynamic
Clayton Barnes's quest to understand the emergence of thoughts from physical interactions led him to pursue an interdisciplinary approach early, joining a lab prior to his university studies. With a B.S. in Neuroscience, and minors in philosophy and mathematics, he is now a 5th year Ph.D. candidate investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of neuromodulation in Jessica Cardin's lab. His research focuses on how neuromodulation affects cortical circuits, influencing arousal and emotion. Through his work, Clayton aims to elucidate the physical basis of the mind's intangible phenomena.
Natalia Castelo Branco
Natalia Castelo Branco
Natalia Castelo Branco
In her first year at Yale, Natalia's curiosity in the philosophy of scientific modeling led her down an irreversible path, intertwining philosophy with her neuroscience Ph.D. studies. Now in her 4th year, she has taken multiple philosophy courses, presented at a philosophy of neuroscience conference, and attended the Philosophy of Science
In her first year at Yale, Natalia's curiosity in the philosophy of scientific modeling led her down an irreversible path, intertwining philosophy with her neuroscience Ph.D. studies. Now in her 4th year, she has taken multiple philosophy courses, presented at a philosophy of neuroscience conference, and attended the Philosophy of Science Association's meeting. Her scientific research under Professor Damon Clark delves into the neural mechanisms of visual processing in fruit flies. Natalia aims to unravel how neural circuits influence behavior, bridging detailed scientific inquiry with broader philosophical implications.
Funding Sources and Support
Wu Tsai Institute
APHINE's main sponsor, the Wu Tsai Institute, is an interdisciplinary research organization at Yale University connecting neuroscience to many different fields of human knowledge. Its main mission, deeply aligned with our own, is to understand human cognition by promoting interdisciplinary inquiry.
Dean's Fund for Colloquia
The Dean’s Fund for Student-Organized Colloquia at Yale University encourages ongoing dialogues among students and faculty regarding their scholarship and research by offering financial support to cover costs associated with organizing graduate student-led seminars and workshops.
Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
The interdisciplinary research programs of Yale's neuroscience faculty are central to Yale's Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP). This unique, broad-based training program is best described as a "department without walls," with the primary purpose of providing students with maximum diversity and depth in the most critical areas of neuroscience research.