Abstract
My research uncovers fundamental algorithms by which brains interpret complex environments and make adaptive decisions, bridging neural, individual, and collective levels of organization. In today’s seminar, I will talk about my past work studying how animals choose among spatially distributed options. Combining theory and high-throughput experiments in virtual reality systems, I showed that brains handle environmental complexity by breaking down multi-choice decisions to sequential binary decisions. I’m now transporting these insights from the lab to the field, where I study how the spatial configuration and geometry of male territories influences female mate-choice in blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), an antelope endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
About the speaker
Vivek is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and an affiliate researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His research explores the fundamental principles underlying spatiotemporal computation in biology, with a particular focus on the mechanisms driving animal movement, navigation, and decision-making. As a mixed-media artist and alumnus of the »Field Trip« residency in Akademie Schloss Solitude, he also collaborates with artists to offer distinct perspectives on science and the natural world.