Dr Yashar Ahmadian

Position Governing Body Fellow
School Technology Department of Engineering
Personal website Yashar Ahmadian
Email ya311@cam.ac.uk
X Profile @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 an Associate Professor 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)

A close-up of a purple allium flower with a spherical cluster of tiny blossoms on a tall stem, set against a softly blurred garden background.

Wolfson Bulb Trail

18/04/2026 at 10.00

Our new bulb trail allows you to enjoy our thoughtfully planted displays and explore our beautiful College Gardens at your own pace.

A vibrant abstract collage filled with layered cut-paper shapes, symbols, and text fragments in bright reds, oranges, blues, and purples, radiating outward from a glowing central area.

Art Exhibition: 'Epic Journeys'

18/04/2026 at 10.00

Visit Wolfson's latest exhibition 'Epic Journeys' featuring work by distinguished artist Hassan Aliyu.

An older woman in a red striped shirt and glasses stretches her arms out while standing on a sandy beach with waves in the background.

Lessons from WHO Non-Communicable Disease Initiative about Chronic Disease

21/04/2026 at 17.30

What links osteoporosis and heart disease? Dr Gordon Klein reveals surprising connections between two of ageing's biggest health challenges, and what they mean for prevention.