Research

What

I study how neural circuits process temporal information; specifically, how the bat auditory system is able to distinguish, with high temporal precision, different durations of auditory signals and echolocation calls.

How

I build computational models of neural circuits to test and explore different neural mechanisms. I observe the in vivo system via extracellular electrophysiological recordings.

Where

McMaster Bat Lab
Dr. Paul A. Faure

- and -

Neural Computation Lab
Dr. Sue Becker

Software Projects

SpikeDB [Cross Platform; Github :: Website]

SpikeDB is an application to archive, manage, and analyze data from electrophysiological recordings saved with Spike. Users are able to write custom analysis scripts in Python that operate on single, or multiple, electrophysiological recordings to quickly run arbitrary analysis across large quanities of recorded data. Written with the GTK+ GUI library in C++, SpikeDB is cross platform.

dtnet [Linux; Github]

dtnet is a an artifical neural network simulation environment written from the ground up. Networks and stimulus patterns are defined in XML files and simulation definitions are written in a custom language parsed by Boost Spirit. I wrote this software to run a large number of simulations in parallel and perform large parameter space searches. dtnet automatically generates and runs all simulations across arbitrarily defined parameter vectors. Software was used to run simulations in Aubie et al. (2009).

Sound Artist [Mac OS X; Github]

Sound Artist permits auditory researchers to quickly and accurately produce publication quality figures of sound files with built in methods for plotting waveforms, spectrograms, and power functions all with a variety of adjustable setings. Uses the powerful GLE graphics engine for producing high quality EPS output files.

mySportSite [Online; Website]

In 2000 I started writing websites for local hockey teams. Over the next seven years, this exploded into mySportSite Inc., a company that provided easy to use, professional, affordable websites for hundreds of sports teams and leagues all over the world. In 2008 I decided that it was time to move on from the web business and focus on my research. The company is still going strong in able hands and continues to grow to this day.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

2012	Doctorate Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour	McMaster University

2007	Bachelor of Mathematics Honours Combinatorics & Optimization Philosophy Minor Cognitive Science Option	University of Waterloo

Peer Reviewed Publications

Sayegh R, Aubie B, Fazel-Pour S, Faure PA (2012) Recovery cycle times of inferior colliculus neurons in the awake bat measured with spike counts and latencies. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 6:56 [Online Access] Aubie B, Sayegh R, Faure PA (2012) Duration tuning across vertebrates. Journal of Neuroscience 32(18):6373-6390 [Online Access] Sayegh R*, Aubie B*, Faure PA (2011) Duration tuning in the auditory midbrain of echolocating and non-echolocating vertebrates. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 197:571-583 [Online Access]* Authors contributed equally Aubie B, Becker S, Faure PA (2009) Computational models of millisecond level duration tuning in neural circuits. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(29):9255-9270. [Online Access] Thagard P, Aubie B (2008) Emotional consciousness: A neural model of how cognitive appraisal and somatic perception interact to produce qualitative experience. Consciousness and Cognition, 17:811-834. [Online Access]

Research Talks

2011	Duration tuning in the auditory midbrain of echolocating and non-echolocating vertebrates. Received the Titley Scientific Award for this talk North American Symposium for Bat Research, Toronto, ON
2010	Duration-tuned neurons in the echolocating bat. Lake Ontario Auditory Neuroscience Conference, University at Buffalo
2009	Computational models of millisecond level duration tuning in neural circuits. In House Neuroscience Conference, McMaster University The Philosophy, Physics, Psychology & Biology of Time. Cognition / Perception Seminar Series, McMaster University
2008	Neurons: Biology to computation and a model duration-tuned neural circuit. Mathematical Biology Seminar Series, McMaster University

Poster Presentations (First Author Only)

Aubie B, Sayegh R, Faure PA (2010) Models of duration-tuned neurons predict a role in echolocation. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting (San Diego CA) Aubie B, Sayegh R, Faure PA (2010) Pulse-echo interval selectivity in models of duration-tuned neural circuits predict a potential role in echolocation. International Congress of Neuroethology (Salamanca, Spain) Aubie B, Sayegh R, Becker S, Faure PA (2009) Models of millisecond level temporal selectivity in neural circuits. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting (Chicago IL) Aubie B, Becker S, Faure PA (2009) Millisecond level timing in neural circuits. 6th Annual Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) meeting (Salt Lake City UT) and Southern Ontario Neuroscience Association Conference (Hamilton ON) Aubie B, Faure PA, Becker S (2008) Modelling a duration-tuned neural circuit. 5th Annual Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) meeting (Salt Lake City UT)

Awards

2011	Titley Scientific Award, North American Symposium for Bat Research
2009‑2011	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) CGS-D
2007‑2009	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PGS-M
2007	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) USRA
2006	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) USRA
2003‑2007	René Descartes National Scholarship

Teaching

2011	Fall TA - Audition (Psych 3A03 McMaster) Fall TA - Inquiry into Science (PNB 4J03 McMaster)
2009	Fall TA - Inquiry into Psychology (Psych 4J03 McMaster) Winter TA - The Arts and the Mind (Psych 3H03 McMaster)
2008	Fall TA - Inquiry into Psychology (Psych 4J03 McMaster) Winter TA - Music and the Mind (Psych 3AA3 McMaster)
2007	Fall TA - Audition (Psych 3A03 McMaster)

Open Source Projects

Graphics Layout Engine (GLE) [Website]

Contributed to core project (C++) and added auxiliary tools (Python).