{"678800":{"#nid":"678800","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Brain to AI and Back: Georgia Tech Hosts Inaugural Computational Cognition Conference","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe human brain is often seen as the world\u0027s most complex computer, processing vast amounts of information, learning from experiences, and making complex decisions. Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter of Excellence in Computational Cognition (CoCo)\u003C\/a\u003E was established in 2023 to better understand this \u201cbiological computer\u201d using the principles of computation and mathematics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResearch on computational cognition leads to a deep, mechanistic understanding of the human mind. It also teaches us how to build more robust and generalizable AI,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/21227\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDoby Rahnev\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Psychology\u003C\/a\u003E and the Center\u2019s founding director. \u201cCoCo aims to bring together researchers from Georgia Tech, Atlanta, the Southeast, and beyond to advance this field.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Center recently hosted its first annual \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/coco-conference-2024\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EComputational Cognition Conference\u003C\/a\u003E, gathering over 100 Atlanta-area researchers to explore cutting-edge work in computation, perception, decision-making, and more. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Growing Field\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational cognition as a field merges psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to understand how our brains work. By creating sophisticated models and simulations, researchers are not only uncovering the secrets of cognition but also paving the way for advancements in AI and technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you go back just five years, there were only three faculty in the School of Psychology working in computational cognition,\u201d said Rahnev. Now, with over a dozen faculty working in the area, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-announces-new-minors-phd-program-and-curriculum-additions\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew minor in Computation and Cognition\u003C\/a\u003E, and the establishment of CoCo, \u201cComputational cognition has gone from something that barely existed in the School to something that is a recognized strength.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoCo was created as a Center of Excellence in the School of Psychology. Since its founding, it has been supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, the precursor to Georgia Tech\u2019s burgeoning Interdisciplinary Research Institute on neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeld on Nov. 15, the Center\u2019s inaugural conference connected students and faculty from across Atlanta, featuring over 25 lightning talks by faculty from Georgia Tech and Emory University on a wide range of topics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis was a special moment for me and everyone else involved,\u201d said Rahnev, who worked with psychology Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/sashank-varma\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESashank Varma\u003C\/a\u003E and inaugural CoCo graduate fellow Alish Dipani to organize the event. \u201cThis conference felt like a coming-of-age event and made it clear that there is a very large community of people working on this topic right here in Atlanta.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough Rahnev recently stepped down as the Center\u2019s director after his appointment as the School of Psychology\u2019s associate chair for Research, he says, \u201cThe future is bright for CoCo.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExciting things are happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d said newly appointed CoCo Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/robert-wilson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBob Wilson\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in psychology. \u201cIn the last few years, there\u0027s been a hiring spree bringing in experts in computation and cognition across psychology, biology, BME, interactive computing, and beyond. Combined with Georgia Tech\u2019s already established excellence in computation and tech, this offers a unique environment where computational approaches are encouraged, and synergies and collaborations between people can grow.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHosted by the School of Psychology\u2019s Center of Excellence in Computational Cognition, the event gathered over 100 researchers in the Atlanta area to explore cutting-edge work in computation, perception, decision-making, and more.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hosted by the School of Psychology\u2019s Center of Excellence in Computational Cognition, the event gathered over 100 researchers in the Atlanta area to explore cutting-edge work in computation, perception, decision-making, and more."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2024-12-10 16:31:25","changed_gmt":"2024-12-10 16:40:29","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675801":{"id":"675801","type":"image","title":"IMG_0821.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left to right: Alish Dipani, inaugural graduate fellow for the Center of Excellence in Computational Cognition (CoCo); Doby Rahnev, psychology professor and founding director of CoCo; Bob Wilson, associate professor in psychology and newly appointed CoCo director; Sashank Varma, psychology professor and conference co-organizer.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733848605","gmt_created":"2024-12-10 16:36:45","changed":"1733848605","gmt_changed":"2024-12-10 16:36:45","alt":"From left to right: Alish Dipani, inaugural graduate fellow for the Center of Excellence in Computational Cognition (CoCo); Doby Rahnev, psychology professor and founding director of CoCo; Bob Wilson, associate professor in psychology and newly appointed CoCo director; Sashank Varma, psychology professor and conference co-organizer.","file":{"fid":"259467","name":"IMG_0821.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0821.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0821.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3875101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0821.jpeg?itok=1x8xnpQh"}},"675802":{"id":"675802","type":"image","title":"IMG_0755.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOver 100 Atlanta-area researchers attended the inaugural CoCo conference.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733848777","gmt_created":"2024-12-10 16:39:37","changed":"1733848777","gmt_changed":"2024-12-10 16:39:37","alt":"Over 100 Atlanta-area researchers attended the inaugural CoCo conference.","file":{"fid":"259468","name":"IMG_0755.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0755.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0755.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4662063,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/10\/IMG_0755.jpeg?itok=-SzzMJeX"}}},"media_ids":["675801","675802"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu","title":"About CoCo"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-offer-phd-neuroscience-and-neurotechnology-new-minor","title":"Georgia Tech to Offer Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, New Minor"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/psychology-pioneers-ai-generated-podcast","title":"Psychology Pioneers AI-Generated Podcast"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003ENeuro Next Initiative\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}