Prof. Virginia de Sa

mail:
9500 Gilman Dr
La Jolla, CA 92093-0515
phone:
(858)-822-5095
fax:
(858)-534-1128
email:
lastname_a_t_cogsci.ucsd.edu
Virginia de Sa is a professor of Cognitive Science, HDSI Chancellor's Endowed Chair, and associate director of the Halicioglu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego. She received a B.Sci. (Engineering) from Queens University in Ontario, and a PhD in Computer Science (machine learning) from the University of Rochester before receiving postdoctoral training in machine learning with Geoff Hinton at the University of Toronto and in neuroscience, with Michael Stryker and Michael Merzenich, at UCSF. She is a recipient of a Sony Faculty Innovation Award, a UCSD Chancellor’s Collaboratories Award, Kavli Innovative Research Award, NSERC 1967 Science and Engineering Scholarship, NSERC postdoctoral fellowship, Sloan Postdoctoral fellowship and NSF CAREER award. Her research goal is to better understand the neural basis of human perception and learning, both from a neural and computational point of view. She investigates the computational properties of machine learning algorithms and what physiological recordings and the constraints and limitations of human performance tell us about how our brains perceive and learn. These and related findings are used to develop computational models, improve machine learning algorithms, and develop EEG-based brain-computer interfaces. Her lab also uses visual illusions and technology from brain-computer interfaces to pique student interest in science and engineering; activities include playing with visual illusions, seeing their own brain activity and competing with fellow students in brain-control games.