What is the topic of your PhD project and how does your work look like in practice?
My lab, Visual Computation, led by Janneke Jehee, investigates perceptual uncertainty. Due to noisy sensory information and noise in the systems that process that information, our representations of the world are uncertain, and our lab investigates how exactly this happens. For my project, I will look at how our perceptual representations develop over time and how fluctuations in these representations influence our decisions.
In practice, my project involves collecting neuroimaging data and developing new computational models that utilise the neuroimaging data to estimate the quality of information in the cortex.
What does the Donders Institute mean to you?
For me, the Donders Institute represents a group of people with varied interests that share a common goal: to understand the brain. Donders is an excellent environment for learning; from organised events to conversations at lunch, there are always people around for discussions and broadening knowledge.
Who inspires you the most and why?
Rather than one person who inspires me the most, I am inspired by lots of people. In particular, I find it especially inspiring when I meet individuals who have found something in life that they love to do and dedicate their work to this interest. Seeing their passion drives me to think about what I want to do and who I want to be. I would also say that I am inspired by people who are passionate about teaching others; their dedication to improving others' knowledge is very cool.
What is an important life lesson you have learned in the past?
Don’t get carried away with the future. Often, you don’t know what it will look like, and usually, but not always, it ends up better than you predict. Focus on the decisions you have in the moment and make the right choice at that time.