Alexander Fung

Hi, I’m Alex 👋 I work as a research assistant in Ev Fedorenko’s lab at MIT, combining fMRI and computational tools to understand the neural basis of language.

I will be applying to PhD programs this fall! I am broadly interested in theoretical neuroscience, in particular mathematical principles of computation in neural circuits. I would like to model biological data at the mechanistic level, addressing questions like:

• Which learning rules and memory architectures might support efficient storage and accurate retrieval of information over the timecourses of learning?
• What kinds of low-dimensional geometric and topological structures underlie neural population dynamics, and what can this tell us about the loss functions responsible for them?

To answer these questions, I plan to leverage techniques across the spectrum of modern neuroscience: computational analysis of neural networks, mathematical modeling of neural dynamics, and goal-directed experimentation.

Before coming to EvLab, I was an undergrad at UC Berkeley studying EECS and Molecular & Cellular Biology. I first fell in love with research while working on the protein folding problem with Yun S. Song [bioRxiv] [PSB2022]. With Kristofer Bouchard, I learned to properly analyze neural data. In my current position with Ev, I’m learning to integrate my computational skills with careful experimental design [bioRxiv] [CCN2024] [CCN2024]. My research journey thus far has only been possible because of the wonderful mentorship I’ve received.