Chris Baker
@cibaker.bsky.social
Cognitive neuroscientist interested in high level vision (faces, scenes etc.), learning and plasticity. All views are my own.
Reposted by Chris Baker
Postdoc position to work on neuroimaging methods with @fmri-today.bsky.social (and me) fim.nimh.nih.gov/positions-av...
Positions Available
This is the webpage for the Section on Functional Imaging Methods at the National Institute of Mental Health.
fim.nimh.nih.gov
January 21, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Postdoc position to work on neuroimaging methods with @fmri-today.bsky.social (and me) fim.nimh.nih.gov/positions-av...
Reposted by Chris Baker
It won't actually exist for another month or so, but because it now 'exists' on amazon, I'll humbly observe that, after working through this book, your student/trainee would be able to read and understand all but two or three papers in this week's J. Neurosci. Check it out:
January 16, 2026 at 10:38 PM
It won't actually exist for another month or so, but because it now 'exists' on amazon, I'll humbly observe that, after working through this book, your student/trainee would be able to read and understand all but two or three papers in this week's J. Neurosci. Check it out:
Reposted by Chris Baker
I have a PhD opening for my #VIDI BrainShorts project 📽️🧠🤖! Are you or do you know an ambitious, recent (or almost) MSc graduate with a background in NeuroAI and interest in large-scale data collection and video perception? Check out our vacancy! (deadline Feb 15).
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
Vacancy — PhD Position in NeuroAI for Video Perception in the Human Brain
<p><span>Are you interested in using AI to unravel the mysteries of the brain? Do you want to perform cutting-edge NeuroAI research and leverage deep learning to understand human vision? Then check out the vacancy below and apply for a PhD position in this exciting research direction.</span></p>
werkenbij.uva.nl
January 16, 2026 at 12:31 PM
I have a PhD opening for my #VIDI BrainShorts project 📽️🧠🤖! Are you or do you know an ambitious, recent (or almost) MSc graduate with a background in NeuroAI and interest in large-scale data collection and video perception? Check out our vacancy! (deadline Feb 15).
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
Reposted by Chris Baker
I finally got around to setting up a lab website!
Have a look: the-steel-lab.github.io
Just in time to start the new semester.
Have a look: the-steel-lab.github.io
Just in time to start the new semester.
The Steel Lab | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The Steel Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign investigates how brain networks give rise to intelligent behavior
the-steel-lab.github.io
January 13, 2026 at 10:38 PM
I finally got around to setting up a lab website!
Have a look: the-steel-lab.github.io
Just in time to start the new semester.
Have a look: the-steel-lab.github.io
Just in time to start the new semester.
Reposted by Chris Baker
🔥Design the next #VSS2026 T-shirt! Show off your creativity & win $500 + recognition at the meeting.
Deadline: Jan 15, 2026 → www.visionsciences.org/2026-graphic...
Deadline: Jan 15, 2026 → www.visionsciences.org/2026-graphic...
January 9, 2026 at 6:38 PM
🔥Design the next #VSS2026 T-shirt! Show off your creativity & win $500 + recognition at the meeting.
Deadline: Jan 15, 2026 → www.visionsciences.org/2026-graphic...
Deadline: Jan 15, 2026 → www.visionsciences.org/2026-graphic...
Reposted by Chris Baker
Has anyone attended any pre-data-collection poster sessions (i.e., poster sessions where people present their plans for experiments before data collection in order to get feedback when it's most useful) at conferences other than VSS?
December 20, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Has anyone attended any pre-data-collection poster sessions (i.e., poster sessions where people present their plans for experiments before data collection in order to get feedback when it's most useful) at conferences other than VSS?
Reposted by Chris Baker
Now out in #JNeurosci -- we found changes in medial parietal cortex after manual exploration of everyday real-world objects
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
December 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Now out in #JNeurosci -- we found changes in medial parietal cortex after manual exploration of everyday real-world objects
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1523/JNEU...
with Beth Rispoli, Vinai Roopchansingh & @cibaker.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Baker
New preprint w/ Malin Styrnal & @martinhebart.bsky.social
Have you ever computed noise ceilings to understand how well a model performs? We wrote a clarifying note on a subtle and common misapplication that can make models appear quite a lot better than they are.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Have you ever computed noise ceilings to understand how well a model performs? We wrote a clarifying note on a subtle and common misapplication that can make models appear quite a lot better than they are.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
December 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
New preprint w/ Malin Styrnal & @martinhebart.bsky.social
Have you ever computed noise ceilings to understand how well a model performs? We wrote a clarifying note on a subtle and common misapplication that can make models appear quite a lot better than they are.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Have you ever computed noise ceilings to understand how well a model performs? We wrote a clarifying note on a subtle and common misapplication that can make models appear quite a lot better than they are.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Chris Baker
Investigating individual-specific topographic organization has traditionally been a resource-intensive and time-consuming process. But what if we could map visual cortex organization in thousands of brains? Here we offer the community with a toolbox that can do just that! tinyurl.com/deepretinotopy
December 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Investigating individual-specific topographic organization has traditionally been a resource-intensive and time-consuming process. But what if we could map visual cortex organization in thousands of brains? Here we offer the community with a toolbox that can do just that! tinyurl.com/deepretinotopy
Reposted by Chris Baker
Is the “standard workflow” holding back fMRI analysis?
Mass-univariate analysis is still the bread-and-butter: intuitive, fast… and chronically overfitted. Add harsh multiple-comparison penalties, and we patch the workflow with statistical band-aids. No wonder the stringency debates never die.
Mass-univariate analysis is still the bread-and-butter: intuitive, fast… and chronically overfitted. Add harsh multiple-comparison penalties, and we patch the workflow with statistical band-aids. No wonder the stringency debates never die.
November 18, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Is the “standard workflow” holding back fMRI analysis?
Mass-univariate analysis is still the bread-and-butter: intuitive, fast… and chronically overfitted. Add harsh multiple-comparison penalties, and we patch the workflow with statistical band-aids. No wonder the stringency debates never die.
Mass-univariate analysis is still the bread-and-butter: intuitive, fast… and chronically overfitted. Add harsh multiple-comparison penalties, and we patch the workflow with statistical band-aids. No wonder the stringency debates never die.
Reposted by Chris Baker
New paper (and thread) on the representational dynamics of the main dimensions of object space: jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx... 1/n
Representational dynamics of the main dimensions of object space: Face/body selectivity aligns temporally with animal taxonomy but not with animacy | JOV | ARVO Journals
jov.arvojournals.org
November 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
New paper (and thread) on the representational dynamics of the main dimensions of object space: jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx... 1/n
Reposted by Chris Baker
Noise ceilings are really useful: You can estimate the reliability of your data and get an index of how well your model can possibly perform given the noise in the data.
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
November 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Noise ceilings are really useful: You can estimate the reliability of your data and get an index of how well your model can possibly perform given the noise in the data.
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
Reposted by Chris Baker
I’ll soon(ish) post an ad for a postdoc position in my lab to study individual differences in brain plasticity following blindness or deafness, with a start date of spring/summer 2026. Feel free to email me if you’re interested.
November 5, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I’ll soon(ish) post an ad for a postdoc position in my lab to study individual differences in brain plasticity following blindness or deafness, with a start date of spring/summer 2026. Feel free to email me if you’re interested.
Reposted by Chris Baker
🌏 Come spend some time with us in Sydney! 🇦🇺
@marcsinstitute.bsky.social is offering International Visiting Scholarships for PhD students + postdocs.
Spend 1–3 months collaborating, exploring ideas, and building connections.
📅 Apply by 4 Dec
📍 Sydney, Australia
Curious or keen? DM or email me
@marcsinstitute.bsky.social is offering International Visiting Scholarships for PhD students + postdocs.
Spend 1–3 months collaborating, exploring ideas, and building connections.
📅 Apply by 4 Dec
📍 Sydney, Australia
Curious or keen? DM or email me
November 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
🌏 Come spend some time with us in Sydney! 🇦🇺
@marcsinstitute.bsky.social is offering International Visiting Scholarships for PhD students + postdocs.
Spend 1–3 months collaborating, exploring ideas, and building connections.
📅 Apply by 4 Dec
📍 Sydney, Australia
Curious or keen? DM or email me
@marcsinstitute.bsky.social is offering International Visiting Scholarships for PhD students + postdocs.
Spend 1–3 months collaborating, exploring ideas, and building connections.
📅 Apply by 4 Dec
📍 Sydney, Australia
Curious or keen? DM or email me
Reposted by Chris Baker
Please repost! I am looking for a PhD candidate in the area of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience to start in early 2026.
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
November 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Please repost! I am looking for a PhD candidate in the area of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience to start in early 2026.
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
Reposted by Chris Baker
📣 New preprint by a stellar team 🤩
I’m most excited by “phase III” in the alignment time course, which is best captured by mid-layers of temporally integrating video models! While we do not directly compare with image-EEG (yet - will do so in the #VIDI) I suspect this is unique to video vision 🎥🔥
I’m most excited by “phase III” in the alignment time course, which is best captured by mid-layers of temporally integrating video models! While we do not directly compare with image-EEG (yet - will do so in the #VIDI) I suspect this is unique to video vision 🎥🔥
📢 New preprint, together with @sargechris.bsky.social!
Building on @sargechris.bsky.social's previous work, we benchmark 100+ image and video models 🤖 on brain representational alignment, this time to EEG data of humans 🧠 watching videos! 🧵⬇️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Building on @sargechris.bsky.social's previous work, we benchmark 100+ image and video models 🤖 on brain representational alignment, this time to EEG data of humans 🧠 watching videos! 🧵⬇️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The Human Brain as a Dynamic Mixture of Expert Models in Video Understanding
The human brain is the most efficient and versatile system for processing dynamic visual input. By comparing representations from deep video models to brain activity, we can gain insights into mechani...
www.biorxiv.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:52 PM
📣 New preprint by a stellar team 🤩
I’m most excited by “phase III” in the alignment time course, which is best captured by mid-layers of temporally integrating video models! While we do not directly compare with image-EEG (yet - will do so in the #VIDI) I suspect this is unique to video vision 🎥🔥
I’m most excited by “phase III” in the alignment time course, which is best captured by mid-layers of temporally integrating video models! While we do not directly compare with image-EEG (yet - will do so in the #VIDI) I suspect this is unique to video vision 🎥🔥
Reposted by Chris Baker
Michael X Cohen on why he left academia/neuroscience.
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
Why I left academia and neuroscience
Don't worry, this isn't yet another story of rage-quitting.
mikexcohen.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Michael X Cohen on why he left academia/neuroscience.
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
Reposted by Chris Baker
New paper alert! 🚨 We show that age-related neural dedifferentiation in scene-selective cortex is tied to changes in eye movements. Using simultaneous fMRI + eye-tracking, we found that younger adults’ fixations covary with scene specificity, but this link weakens with age.
Link in post below 👇
Link in post below 👇
September 22, 2025 at 8:59 PM
New paper alert! 🚨 We show that age-related neural dedifferentiation in scene-selective cortex is tied to changes in eye movements. Using simultaneous fMRI + eye-tracking, we found that younger adults’ fixations covary with scene specificity, but this link weakens with age.
Link in post below 👇
Link in post below 👇
Reposted by Chris Baker
🧠 New preprint: Why do deep neural networks predict brain responses so well?
We find a striking dissociation: it’s not shared object recognition. Alignment is driven by sensitivity to texture-like local statistics.
📊 Study: n=57, 624k trials, 5 models doi.org/10.1101/2025...
We find a striking dissociation: it’s not shared object recognition. Alignment is driven by sensitivity to texture-like local statistics.
📊 Study: n=57, 624k trials, 5 models doi.org/10.1101/2025...
September 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM
🧠 New preprint: Why do deep neural networks predict brain responses so well?
We find a striking dissociation: it’s not shared object recognition. Alignment is driven by sensitivity to texture-like local statistics.
📊 Study: n=57, 624k trials, 5 models doi.org/10.1101/2025...
We find a striking dissociation: it’s not shared object recognition. Alignment is driven by sensitivity to texture-like local statistics.
📊 Study: n=57, 624k trials, 5 models doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Happy to hear any and all feedback on our discussion article!
So much fun to work with this amazing set of authors :)
So much fun to work with this amazing set of authors :)
Our target discussion article out in Cognitive Neuroscience! It will be followed by peer commentary and our responses. If you would like to write a commentary, please reach out to the journal! 1/18 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @cibaker.bsky.social @susanwardle.bsky.social
August 29, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Happy to hear any and all feedback on our discussion article!
So much fun to work with this amazing set of authors :)
So much fun to work with this amazing set of authors :)
Reposted by Chris Baker
Excited to have this one out! We found that the perception of illusory faces relies on parallel brain representations of faces and objects with different dynamics, enabling flexible behaviour.
EEG shows illusory faces in objects initially resemble real faces then shift to object-like representations, with task demands determining which identity guides behavior.
@amandakrobinson.bsky.social @jesstaubert.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
@amandakrobinson.bsky.social @jesstaubert.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Neural correlates reveal separate stages of spontaneous face perception - Communications Psychology
Neural dynamics reveal separate stages of spontaneous face perception: EEG shows illusory faces in objects initially resemble real faces then shift to object-like representations, with task demands de...
www.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Excited to have this one out! We found that the perception of illusory faces relies on parallel brain representations of faces and objects with different dynamics, enabling flexible behaviour.
Eye movements, vision and memory through the lens of Sherlock - awesome collaborative project led by @matthiasnau.bsky.social
Excited to share our new paper w/ @cibaker.bsky.social in @natcomms.nature.com linking active vision & memory!
We provide evidence that gaze reinstatement & neural reactivation are deeply related phenomena that jointly reflect the experiences constructed during recall. doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵1/9
We provide evidence that gaze reinstatement & neural reactivation are deeply related phenomena that jointly reflect the experiences constructed during recall. doi.org/10.1038/s414...
🧵1/9
Neural and behavioral reinstatement jointly reflect retrieval of narrative events - Nature Communications
When people recall a movie, their eye movements and brain activity resemble those observed during the viewing. These behavioral and neural reactivations are linked through a common process, likely ref...
doi.org
August 25, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Eye movements, vision and memory through the lens of Sherlock - awesome collaborative project led by @matthiasnau.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Baker
A brain-imaging study of people with amputated arms has upended a long-standing belief
go.nature.com/3Jp9NPG
go.nature.com/3Jp9NPG
The brain’s map of the body is surprisingly stable — even after a limb is lost
Study challenges the textbook idea that the brain region that processes body sensations reorganizes itself after limb amputation.
go.nature.com
August 21, 2025 at 10:07 AM
A brain-imaging study of people with amputated arms has upended a long-standing belief
go.nature.com/3Jp9NPG
go.nature.com/3Jp9NPG
Loss of sensory input has long been used to study brain plasticity - here, we challenge the prevailing view of massive reorganization in a longitudinal study of amputees
Massive effort from @hunterschone.bsky.social who was in the awesome NIH/UCL PhD program with @plasticity-lab.bsky.social
Massive effort from @hunterschone.bsky.social who was in the awesome NIH/UCL PhD program with @plasticity-lab.bsky.social
Now out in @natneuro.nature.com
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
August 21, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Loss of sensory input has long been used to study brain plasticity - here, we challenge the prevailing view of massive reorganization in a longitudinal study of amputees
Massive effort from @hunterschone.bsky.social who was in the awesome NIH/UCL PhD program with @plasticity-lab.bsky.social
Massive effort from @hunterschone.bsky.social who was in the awesome NIH/UCL PhD program with @plasticity-lab.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Baker
Datasets like NSD & THINGS offer rich stimuli but often test a single task.
After great conversations at #CCN2025 on multi-task studies & generalization in brains & models, I thought I would repost our perspective for those interested in this topic. We need multiple tasks!👉 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
After great conversations at #CCN2025 on multi-task studies & generalization in brains & models, I thought I would repost our perspective for those interested in this topic. We need multiple tasks!👉 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Centering cognitive neuroscience on task demands and generalization - Nature Neuroscience
Task demands are a primary determiner of behavior and neurophysiology. Here the authors discuss how understanding their influence through multitask studies and tests of generalization is the key to ar...
doi.org
August 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Datasets like NSD & THINGS offer rich stimuli but often test a single task.
After great conversations at #CCN2025 on multi-task studies & generalization in brains & models, I thought I would repost our perspective for those interested in this topic. We need multiple tasks!👉 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
After great conversations at #CCN2025 on multi-task studies & generalization in brains & models, I thought I would repost our perspective for those interested in this topic. We need multiple tasks!👉 doi.org/10.1038/s415...