FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Rishi Alluri, Research Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences
What is your research focus?
I study how neural cells and circuits process information over time to support perception and behavior. My work centers on the neural mechanisms of temporal integration—how neurons accumulate, filter, encode, decode, and transform signals over milliseconds to seconds—and how these computations give rise to phenomena such as perceptual grouping and decision-making. Using a combination of electrophysiology, behavioral analysis, and computational modeling, I investigate general principles of neural coding that extend across sensory systems. I also develop and apply non-viral gene delivery platforms to manipulate and monitor neural circuits with cell-type specificity and temporal precision. In parallel, I design neural network architectures inspired by biological information processing, and I am increasingly interested in material science and the development of silicon photonic systems that could enable next-generation compute engines modeled on neural circuit function.
What are some of your research collaboration interests?
I’m interested in interdisciplinary collaborations spanning molecular and systems neuroscience, circuit physiology, computational modeling, and behavior. I welcome opportunities to work with colleagues on the dynamics of perception, learning, and decision-making, as well as on developing new tools for targeted circuit interrogation. I’m especially excited by comparative and evolutionary approaches that explore how neural computations are conserved or adapted across species. I also seek collaborations at the interface of neuroscience and engineering, particularly in developing biologically inspired computing hardware using photonics and novel materials.
Christopher Miles, Associate Professor, Mathematics 
What is your research focus?
I’m a mathematician interested in computational cell and molecular biology. Modern high-resolution experiments can capture molecular activity in stunning, single-molecule detail , but in doing so, produce massive and challenging datasets. To interpret this data, my group blends mathematical modeling—where we write down equations for how systems behave—with machine learning, to identify hidden patterns. A central theme in our work is understanding how cells mitigate, or even exploit, randomness and heterogeneity for function. We’ve recently focused on building models and tools that connect microscopy data to the underlying mechanisms of gene expression to better understand genetic regulation and cell fate.
What are some of your research collaboration interests?
Close collaboration with experimental scientists is at the heart of my research. My group’s work often has a strong spatial component, and we are recently working most with single-cell and spatial ‘omics’ data, especially spatial transcriptomics at single-molecule resolution. That said, I am always eager to forge new collaborations in any area where mathematical and computational methods can make a tangible impact toward answering biological questions.
What are some of your passions and interests outside of work?
I really enjoy foraging wild food, and am amazed at how many edible or useful plants, berries, and fungi are hidden in plain sight, even here in the city. I’m also passionate about fermentation, especially the aspect of trusting nature to transform familiar ingredients into new and complex flavors. It’s always a fun surprise to taste how a batch of kimchi or a new ferment turns out.
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