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Faculty Highlights: Max Riesenhuber, Ph.D. (Dept. of Neuroscience)

Background

Dr. Max Riesenhuber has been at Georgetown University since 2003 and is currently a Professor of Neuroscience at the Georgetown University Medical Center and the Co-Director of the Center for Neuroengineering. He received his Master’s degree in physics from the University of Frankfurt in Germany and his PhD in Computational Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Involvement in Research

Dr. Riesenhuber’s research utilizes cognitive brain imaging and computational modeling to investigate how the brain perceives objects, sounds, and signals. For his PhD, Dr. Riesenhuber worked on developing computational models of ultra recognition, addressing questions such as: How, and to what extent, are photoreceptors activated when the brain recognizes faces? How does the brain self-organize? 

Currently, one of Dr. Riesenhuber’s research projects explores how people read and how the brain develops a lexicon with neurons responding to different words, as well as how this lexicon changes over time. His team has been using neuroimaging technologies to affirm their hypotheses on speech comprehension. 

Inspiration 

Dr. Riesenhuber had an initial interest in artificial intelligence, which inspired him to pursue the field of neuroscience. He is particularly fascinated with new technologies in the field, such as tactile stimulators which can convert visual information into auditory input for visually impaired individuals, aiding them in spatial recognition. “It has been very fruitful to study the brain, to find out how it is solving all these really hard conditional problems in a way that seems very effortless,” says Dr. Riesenhuber.

Reflection

Dr. Riesenhuber emphasizes the importance of neurodiversity and understanding how the brain functions when certain parts of it are impaired or disorderly, connecting this to the Georgetown Value of Community in Diversity. His approach to these challenges involves model-based understanding and computational testing, and he states that there is “nothing I would've done differently.”

Advice for Students 

Dr. Riesenhuber commends the breadth of opportunities offered by Georgetown University, encouraging students to explore the school’s various labs and projects to pursue their interests and reach out to faculty accordingly. The Department of Neuroscience at the Georgetown University Medical Center offers a PhD program that involves several other departments with clinical, behavioral, and molecular disciplines, which Dr. Riesenhuber recommends for those who may be interested in pursuing neuroscience in the future.