Dr Yashar Ahmadian

Position Governing Body Fellow
School Technology Department of Engineering
Personal website Yashar Ahmadian
Email ya311@cam.ac.uk
Twitter @yasharadian
Department link Neural Sensory Processing Group

Yashar is a theoretical physicist turned theoretical neuroscientist. He is based in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab in the Department of Engineering, and studies how the brain processes information and adapts to changes in the sensory environment.

Yashar received his Bachelor's Degree in physics from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, after which he started his doctoral studies in theoretical condensed matter physics as an Irene Tramm Memorial Fellow at Columbia University, New York. After receiving his PhD in 2007, Yashar started his research in Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience, and became a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia University. He was supported by a Patterson Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship followed by a Kavli Postdoctoral Fellowship. Before coming to Cambridge, Yashar was an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon, departments of Mathematics and Biology, and the Institute of Neuroscience. Currently, he is a University Lecturer in AI and Neuroscience in the Department of Engineering.

Yashar leads a research group in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab in the Department of Engineering. His group's research is focused on sensory processing in the brain and how it underlies our perception. A main theme of the research is to connect causal and mechanistic understanding, at the level of biological neural circuits, to teleological understanding that refers to the computational goals of the nervous system. Beyond his daytime research, Yashar keeps an interest in mathematical physics, philosophy, history and politics.

What's on

Event Type (field_event_type)

Two people walking away on a brick pathway lined with wisteria.

Poetry Trail

13/05/2024 at 12.00

Explore our new trail featuring extracts of poetry written by Wolfson staff and students for the forthcoming WolfWords Anthology Wild.

Family pose for photograph on graduation day

Graduation Ceremony

17/05/2024 at 09.00

Graduation ceremonies are the culmination of students’ hard work and commitment, and a moment to celebrate the completion of their Cambridge degree.

A student speaker wearing a red top presenting on stage.

Postgraduate Research Soirée

17/05/2024 at 17.45

Join Wolfson postgraduate students as they talk about their research in an informal evening of interesting presentations and friendly discussion – complete with wine and cheese!