Ramadan

Mahmoud Ramadan, also known as Mahdi Ramadan, is a PhD candidate in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).12 He is a Lebanese-American researcher currently based in Boston, focusing on computational neuroscience in Mehrdad Jazayeri's lab at the McGovern Institute.1

Ramadan's academic background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Neurobiology from the University of Washington, with minors in Neural Engineering and Computational Neuroscience2
• Currently pursuing a PhD at MIT since 20172

His research interests include:

• Computational neuroscience
• Neurotechnology
• Artificial intelligence
• Complex decision-making processes in primates3

Ramadan's current project investigates hierarchical and counterfactual reasoning, using a combination of human psychophysics, monkey electrophysiology, and computational modeling.3 He has designed novel decision-making tasks that provide insights into both human and primate cognition.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Ramadan worked as a research scientist at the Allen Institute, where he applied machine learning techniques to study visual cortical processing and behavioral states.2 He has also been recognized with several awards and fellowships during his academic career.

Outside of his research, Ramadan is involved in:

• Advocating for underrepresented populations in education and innovation
• Entrepreneurship
• Language learning
• Dance3

Recently, Ramadan won the MIT IGNITE generative AI entrepreneurship competition, working on a project at the intersection of generative AI and brain-computer interfaces.4