I'm a mechanical engineer who found my way into neuroscience! Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I realised where my real interests lie. Since then, I have made the effort to move into research. I started with online courses and Neuromatch Academy, then gained practical experience at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

The engineering background still shapes how I work: I like building the tools, from hardware to analysis pipelines, that make new questions about the brain answerable. I'm a big believer in open science – if we want to push the boundaries of knowledge and understand our world, we need to collaborate.

• Computational psychiatry – using computational models of behaviour to understand mental health and illness
• Neurotechnology – building tools that leads to new ways of studying the brain

At EMBL Rome, I study behaviour to understand how motivational conflict ties together with negative social experience. I also build models to understand decision-making in uncertainty environments. I am responsible for leading the analysis and that has led to create things like:

• a DeepLabCut pipeline for tracking animal behaviour
• POMDP modelling of decision-making in uncertain environments (ongoing)

• Technical Editor: Worked on a range of books covering programming languages such as Python and Julia, collaborating with authors and reviewers to make sure each book was accurate and published on time.

• Online Mathematics Tutor: Taught online sessions for students in grades 5-12, keeping an average rating of 4.9/5. This role deepened my love for mathematics; finding new ways to explain a concept was a challenge I always enjoyed.

Here's a peek into my toolkit:

1. Programming – Python, MATLAB
2. Behaviour & Imaging – DeepLabCut, ImageJ
3. Modelling & Analysis – POMDP, Data analysis (Python), Statistical analysis (Python, GraphPad Prism)
4. Hardware – Microcontrollers
5. Computing - HPC Cluster (SLURM), Git, Shell Scripting

A few projects I have worked on:

1. Automated Mice Assay – an automated behavioural assay for mice, built with microcontrollers and C++
2. Task-fMRI Analysis and Modeling – analysis and modelling of task-based fMRI data
3. Python Case Studies – worked case studies in Python, published as a Jupyter Book
4. Computational Thinking with Python – an introduction to computer science and programming in Python

You can learn more about my projects here.

I'm a big believer in continuous learning. I'm always looking to explore new ideas, expand my perspective, and sharpen my problem-solving skills. You can find a list of the online courses and certifications I've completed here.

If you would like to get in touch with me or learn more about my work, you can reach me at rajdeep.ch138@gmail.com or visit my website. I'm always happy to talk science and collaborate, so feel free to connect with me!