Saurabh Steixner-Kumar

Saurabh Steixner-Kumar

Researcher

UKE, HAMBURG

Biography

Saurabh Steixner-Kumar is a researcher at the systems neuroscience department at the university hospital (part of hamburg university) in Hamburg, Germany .

His research interests include data science, social decision making, bayesian statistics, reinforcement-learning, modeling, EEG hyperscanning.

(Webspace is in forever BETA)

Interests

  • Data Science
  • Decision making
  • Bayesian statistics
  • Reinforcement learning
  • Modeling
  • Electroencephalography hyperscanning

Education

  • Doctorate/PhD in Neuroscience, 2017

    Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences & Leipzig University

  • MSc Digital communications, 2014

    Christian Albrechts University (Kiel University)

  • BTech Electronics and Communications, 2010

    Ganpat University

Skills

Coding/Scripting

I use various coding and scripting languages at varying levels. I have experience in Unix-shell, MATLAB, R, STAN, LATEX, C/C++, CUDA, Python, HTML.

Algorithms/Techniques

Experienced in different statistical approaches and algorithms. Bayesian statistics, Reinforcement learning, Inference statistics, Modeling, Signal processing and various related approaches.

Practical applications

Skills using toolboxes such as fieldtrip, EEGLAB, Psychtoolbox. These help designing and implementing EEG/MEG, tDCS/tACS and different neurophsycological and behavioral experiments. Have previously used LABVIEW implementing virtual instruments.

Languages

I am comfortable in multiple languages. English: native. German: passive B2, active B2. Hindi: native. Gujarati: native.

Hobbies

Outside work; I like to engage in running, skiing, playing volleyball, tennis and painting

Experience

 
 
 
 
 

University Medical Center Hamburg-Ependorf

Mar 2017 – Present Hamburg, HH
Systems neuroscience, Modelling, Social decision making, Hyperscanning. Based on the theory of mind and the social decision making framework, my current research project looks at the mental models that we form of others and the decisions that we make. To carry out this undertaking, bayesian-inference modeling along with reinforcement-learning where decisions are formulated under uncertanity, is scrutinized. To identify the neuronal signatures and the linked interactions in the brain, we employ the EEG hyperscanning technique.
 
 
 
 
 

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Apr 2014 – Feb 2017 Leipzig, Saxony
A project to develop a therapeutic treatment for obesity. The project compared lean and obese volunteers in their mental makeup towards high and low caloric food. EEG was recorded and various statistical routines and signal processing techniques were performed to highlight the relevent findings. The results are published and can be found on the publications section.
 
 
 
 
 

University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein.

Oct 2013 – Apr 2014 Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
The project involved forming a simplistic simulation of a human brain. The challenge was to simulate the brain potentials on the surface of the scalp with differently located and oriented dipoles. These scalp potentials were then used to find an inverse solution to identify the brain sources. A new algorithm based on the phase differences of the scalp potentials was developed and tested for its accuracy and speed.
 
 
 
 
 

EADS Eurocopters (Airbus Helicopter)

Feb 2013 – Aug 2013 Donauwoerth, Bavaria & Munich, Bavaria
Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS): During a helicopter flight, vibrations in the gearbox is a dangerous sign that can lead to fatal accidents. Therefore, it is imperative to stop such a scenarion taking place. Using signal processing algorithms one can predict the life expectency of the shafts and other parts in the gearbox. The project simulated a virtual gearbox to understand these vibrations and identify the causes in time and frequency domains.
 
 
 
 
 

EADS Astrium Space Transportation (Airbus Space and Defence)

Oct 2011 – May 2012 Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg

Project RUBY: Bubble formation is different in microgravity, demystifying it takes capturing multiply images of every moment in its creation. The project used various image processing tools and techniques to sort them and report the missing links.

Project FOAM: The need to study the formation of foam in micro gravity of space is essential in order to enhance the food structures. Therefore this project, part of the collaboration with ESA (European space agency) and the ISS (International space station) columbus module had to design a lab box for experimentation. The prototype involved testing hardware and software on a parabolic flight. The challenge was to create a software to operate in the extreme conditions. Different correlators, multiple cameras monitoring the experiment box and various motor components were controlled symultaneously.

The sucess story can be found at this link.

Recent Publications

Quickly discover relevant content by filtering publications.

Humans depart from optimal computational models of interactive decision-making during competition under partial information

Decision making under uncertainty in multiagent settings is of increasing interest in decision science. The degree to which human …

Humans depart from optimal computational models of socially interactive decision-making under partial information

Decision making under uncertainty and under incomplete evidence in multiagent settings is of increasing interest in decision science, …

Strategies for navigating a dynamic world

One of the most difficult problems for an adaptable agent is gauging how to behave in a nonstationary environment. When conditions are …

Theory of mind and decision science: Towards a typology of tasks and computational models

The ability to form a Theory of Mind (ToM), i.e., to theorize about others’ mental states to explain and predict behavior in relation …

Modeling Cooperation and Competition in the Tiger Task

Cooperation and competition are fundamental modes of social interaction. It is imperative that we study such behavior to unravel the …

Press

Medial prefrontal cortex regions involved when the brain decides whether to continue a behavior

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in France has learned more about the parts of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that are involved when the brain is deciding whether to continue with a certain behavior or to go with something new. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of the brains of epileptic patients and what they learned from them. Saurabh Steixner-Kumar and Jan Gläscher with University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf have published a Perspective piece in the same journal issue outlining the work by the team.

Space for dessert?

All chefs know that preparing the perfect chocolate mousse is one part science and one part art. ESA’s microgravity research is helping the food industry understand the science behind the foams found in many types of food and drink such as meringues and coffee.

Online certifications

Python data science part 2 of 2 course

Iterators, objects in the context of for loops, generators and list comprehensions. A case study with the World Development Indicators dataset.
See certificate

Python data science part 1 of 2 course

Art of custom function writing with multiple parameters and multiple return values, along with default arguments and variable-length arguments. Scoping in Python writing lambda functions and error handling to write functions that analyze Twitter DataFrames.
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Python intermmediate course

Practicing data science by visualizing real data with Matplotlib’s functions, dictionary data structures and pandas Dataframe. Key concepts such as boolean logic, control flow, loops using hacker statistics.
See certificate

Recent Posts

Projects

Notes_taking

A clever way of taking impromptu notes while working

Bayesian_modeling

Exercises in R and Stan of the Bayesian Cognitive Modeling book by Lee and Wagenmakers

Recent & Upcoming Talks

Professional Education in Global Context (Keynote speaker)

Trends in technology for a thriving future

Teaching at Hamburg University

Course follow-up in the bachelor program of Psychology with Human-Computer/Robotic Interaction

Contact