Ben Lahner
I am a NeuroAI researcher seeking to understand how our brains make sense of our world. Using machine learning and neural networks, I model experimental data (fMRI and MEG) to uncover insights into human visual memory and perception. I have extensive experience in all stages of the NeuroAI pipeline, from experimental data collection to preprocessing to AI training and publication. I obtained my PhD studying computational neuroscience in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), where I was advised by Aude Oliva. I have also have industry experience applying my AI skills at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Prior to joining MIT, I graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in biomedical engineering. During my undergrad years I was first introduced to research through Professor Robert Reinhart and Professor John White.
Publications

2024
BOLD Moments
Modeling short visual events through the BOLD moments video fMRI dataset and metadata.
Benjamin Lahner, Kshitij Dwivedi, Polina Iamshchinina, Monika Graumann, Alex Lascelles, Gemma Roig, Alessandro Thomas Gifford, Bowen Pan, SouYoung Jin, Ratan Murty, Kendrick Kay, Aude Oliva+, Radoslaw Cichy+.
Nature Communications, 2024
Paper | Project page | Dataset Repository
Brain Netflix
Brain Netflix: Scaling Data to Reconstruct Videos from Brain Signals.
Camilo Fosco*, Benjamin Lahner*, Bowen Pan, Alex Andonian, Emilie Josephs, Alex Lascelles, and Aude Oliva.
European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV), 2024
Paper | Project page
Visual Memorability
Visual perception of highly memorable images is mediated by a distributed network of ventral visual regions that enable a late memorability response.
Benjamin Lahner*, Yalda Mohsenzadeh*, Caitlin Mullin*, and Aude Oliva.
PLOS Biology, 2024
Paper | Project page | Repository | MIT news
Gait Analysis
Digital wearable insole-based identification of knee arthropathies and gait signatures using machine learning.
Matthew F. Wipperman*, Allen Z. Lin*, Kaitlyn M. Gayvert*, Benjamin Lahner, ... , and Olivier Harari.
eLife, 2024
Paper
Eyedrop Device
A mechanical device for precise self-administration of ocular drugs.
Jesse George-Akpenyi*, Benjamin Lahner*, Seung Hyeon Shim*, Carly Smith*, Nakul Singh, Matt Murphy, Leroy Sibanda, Giovanni Traverso, and Nevan C. Hanumara.
Human Factors in Healthcare, 2024
Patent Pending
Paper | Repository
2023
Theta Phase
Theta-phase-specific modulation of dentate gyrus memory neurons.
Bahar Rahsepar, Jad Noueihed, Jacob F. Norman, Benjamin Lahner, Melanie H. Quick, Kevin Ghaemi, Aashna Pandya, Fernando R. Fernandez, Steve Ramirez, and John A. White.
eLife, 2023
Paper
Algonauts 2023
The Algonauts Project 2023 Challenge: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of Natural Scenes.
Allesandro T. Gifford, Benjamin Lahner, Sari Saba-Sadiya, Martina G. Vilas, Alex Lascelles, Aude Oliva, Kendrick Kay, Gemma Roig, Radoslaw M. Cichy.
arXiv, 2023
Paper | Project page
2022
Auditory Fusion
Cochlea to categories: The spatiotemporal dynamics of semantic auditory representations.
Matthew X. Lowe*, Yalda Mohsenzadeh*, Benjamin Lahner, Ian Charest, Aude Oliva and Santani Teng.
Cognitive Neuropsychology, 2022
Paper | Project page | Fusion video
2021
Algonauts 2021
The Algonauts Project 2021 Challenge: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion.
Radoslaw Martin Cichy, Kshitij Dwivedi, Benjamin Lahner, Alex Lascelles, Polina Iamshchinina, M Graumann, Alex Andonian, NAR Murty, K Kay, Gemma Roig, Aude Oliva.
arXiv, 2021
Paper | Project page
2020
Emergence
Emergence of visual center-periphery spatial organization in deep convolutional neural networks.
Yalda Mohsenzadeh, Caitlin Mullin, Benjamin Lahner, and Aude Oliva.
Scientific Reports, 2020
Paper | Project page (under construction)
2019
Reliability
Reliability and generalizability of similarity-based fusion of fMRI and MEG data in the ventral and dorsal visual streams.
Yalda Mohsenzadeh*, Caitlin Mullin*, Benjamin Lahner, Radoslaw Cichy, and Aude Oliva.
Vision, 2019
Paper | Project page | Fusion video
Algonauts 2019
The Algonauts Project: A platform for communication between the sciences of biological and artificial intelligence.
Radoslaw Martin Cichy, Gemma Roig, Alex Andonian, Kshitij Dwivedi, Benjamin Lahner, Alex Lascelles, Yalda Mohsenzadeh, Kandan Ramakrishnan, and Aude Oliva.
arXiv, 2019
Paper | Project page
Selected Conference Abstracts

Active Community Involvement

Awards and Achievements

Featured Blog Posts

Ticket Bot
How to Build Your Own Ticket Bot
A walkthrough of how to build a ticket bot that notifies you by email and text when your tickets are available.
Article | Code
Curious George
Curious George Discovers the Infinite Monkey Theorem
How long would it take Curious George to write a Curious George book?
Article | Code
Neural Networks
The Fundamentals of Neural Networks: A Comprehensive Tutorial Without Internet or GPUs
A step-by-step guide through neural networks' mathematical, NumPy, and PyTorch implementations.
Article | Code
TreeCV demo
TreeCV: The Skills-First Interactive Resume for the Modern Job Search
It's time to toss the traditional resume format in the 'reject' pile.
Article | Code | Website

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Last updated: Spring 2025