About

Hi there! My name is Aaditya Prasad but I normally go by Aadi. I’m a PhD Student in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at MIT (since 2024) where I am mentored by Dr. Steve Flavell. My thesis work revolves around developing connectome-constrained controllers of biomechanically realistic simulations of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans using graph neural networks. My research interests lie at the intersection of computational neuroethology and NeuroAI. In other words, I am interested in developing deep learning-based tools and models to gain understanding of complex animal behaviors with hopes that it inspires better AI algorithms. Before MIT, I completed my masters in data science and undergrad in bioinformatics at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). During my time at UCSD, I was co-mentored by Talmo Pereira and Uri Manor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and UCSD where I worked on deep learning models for tracking biological agents like animals, cells, and organelles in video timelapses. My current CV can be found in the CV section of this website or here in pdf format. If you want to talk about my research, potential fits in your company/group, collaborations, or just want to chat about anything from video games to philosophy, please don’t hesitate to reach out!