Lab-Handbook

The lab handbook of the Levenstein Lab for NeuroAI and Dynamics at Yale University

About the lab

Like learning, sleep changes the brain to improve its future performance. Unlike learning, these changes occur in the absence of overt behavior or sensory input, and rely solely on neural activity that is spontaneously generated by the brain itself. This “offline learning” thus contains a mystery: how does spontaneous activity improve brain function? Our lab aims to develop theories of offline learning that shed light on this mystery, and can be used to mimic its computational benefits in artificial neural networks or understand its disruption in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Our work generally focuses on spatial representation in the hippocampal formation, and a phenomenon called sharp wave ripples - high frequency oscillations in the hippocampus that coordinate activity across the brain and simulate wake-like “replay” trajectories during sleep. We use artificial neural networks (ANNs), dynamical systems theory, and neural data analysis to study how these internally-generated dynamics support offline learning – working closely with experimental collaborators to inspire the design of computational models and to compare them in experimental data. This NeuroAI approach, in which brain-inspired ANNs are built and used as models for the brain, is particularly well-suited to bridge neurons’ circuit and cellular-level properties with their computational capacities, and allows us to study three questions central to our research.: “How does spontaneous activity emerge and self-organize in neural networks?”, “How does plasticity during spontaneous activity change the brain?”, and “How do those changes improve the brain’s operations and performance on future tasks?”.

In addition to our work on sleep, the lab works broadly at the interface of theoretical and experimental neuroscience - applying computational methods to a variety of interesting problems involving neural dynamics and computation with experimentalist collaborators.

Where to start?

So you want to join the lab? - prospective members start here

Onboarding - new members start here

Table of Contents

• README.md: Landing page.
• contact.md: Names, positions, emails for current lab members.
• meetings.md: Specified schedule for regular meetings
• onboarding.md: Relevant information for your first day through your first couple of weeks.
• Resources and How-Tos
  • adobe.md: Instructions on how to get access to Adobe suite tools (e.g. for figures)
  • basic_github.md: Some helpful pointers on how to use git for version control and also how to make contributions to this repository.
  • gen_ai.md: Tips on how to use generative AI tools responsibly and ethically.
  • hpc.md: How to get access to the Misha HPC cluster.
  • mailing_lists.md: Helpful mailing lists to engage in the WTI research community (journal clubs etc.)
  • mental_health.md: Resources and support options for managing mental health
  • printers.md: Tutorial on how to connect to lab printer, as well as links to drivers & docs
  • recommended_reading.md: Links to relevant publications on topics of interest to the lab (e.g. sleep, memory consolidation, neuroAI)
  • science_general.md1: How to do good science (in general).
  • travel.md: Information on how to arrange travel with Yale.
• Lab policies, practices, and expectations
  • code_software.md: Link to helpful resources on good coding conventions
  • health_wellness.md: Tips on how to manage work-life balance and health while doing research
  • hours_remote_vacation.md: Policies on remote work, working hours, vacations, and holidays