Célia Benquet

Célia Benquet

PhD student

Mathis Lab, EPFL

ELLIS Society

I am a third-year PhD candidate in computational neuroscience 🧠 at the Mathis lab of Adaptive Intelligence (PI Prof. Mackenzie Mathis) as part of the ELLIS PhD program and EDEE PhD program in EPFL. I work on understanding how the brain integrates external features in its environment and constructs neural representations models to generalize and extract the relevant information from it 🧩. I have a strong interest in investigating the dynamics 💫 taking place during the formation of such neural representations while learning and performing a task. To do so, I will relate vision 👀 and movements 💪 by exploring the processes at play in active sensing.

Interests
  • Computational Neurosciences
  • Artificial & neural intelligence
  • Representation learning
  • Dynamical systems
  • Motor control, vision & learning
Education
  • PhD in Electrical Engineering, Present

    EPFL

  • MSc in Computational Neurosciences, 2022

    EPFL

  • BSc in Life Science Engineering, 2019

    EPFL

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Mathis Lab, EPFL
PhD student
May 2023 – Present Geneva, Switzerland
  • Working on representation and adaptive learning in biological and artificial networks.
  • Part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) PhD program.
 
 
 
 
 
Mathis Lab, EPFL
Research Software Engineer
Nov 2022 – Apr 2023 Geneva, Switzerland

Implementation of new functionalities to CEBRA, a dimensionality reduction tool for neural data, using contrastive learning (Nature, 2023).

  • Joint modeling of auxiliary and time-series data code development and extensions.
  • Maintenance of the existing code.
  • Building data management & inference pipelines for models and code.
 
 
 
 
 
Uchida lab, Harvard University
Visiting Graduate Student
Feb 2022 – Aug 2022 Cambridge, MA, US
Neural basis of belief state computation in the brain using ML/RL models. Data consist in activity of multiple neurons while animals are performing a behavioral task. Leading my own independent research agenda and corresponding investigations.
 
 
 
 
 
RDS (Rhythm Diagnostic Systems)
R&D Engineer
Aug 2021 – Feb 2022 Strasbourg, France
Normality models to detect noises and anomalies in clinical physiologic signals (ECG and PPG). Data mining, AI/ML models, Riemannian geometry. Part of an AGILE work-environment (JIRA, Bitbucket). Participation in the engineering life-cycle of the product.
 
 
 
 
 
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Student Research Assistant
Jan 2020 – Jul 2021 Lausanne, Switzerland

Semester projets in diverse laboratories of the School of Life Sciences:

  • Mathis Laboratory of Adaptative Motor Control - Discrete Representation of Behaviors in a multi-agent dataset.
  • Herzog Lab - Laboratory of Psychophysics - Modeling of Serial Dependency in Visual Perception.
  • Gräff Lab - Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics - Functional Mapping of Remote fear memory extinction.
 
 
 
 
 
University of Cambridge
Summer Research Student
Aug 2019 – Sep 2019 Cambridge, UK
Easy-to-use accessible Matlab-tool to map freezing and vocalizing behaviors when fear or anxiety in rats from experimental video recordings to facilitate behavioral analysis.

Skills

Python

PyTorch, ML libraries

Neurosciences

Learning and decision-making

Programming

Matlab, Java, C++, SQL

ML/DL
Teamwork
Academic Writing

Awards

EPFL-WISH
EPFL-WISH Foundation Fellowship
The EPFL-WISH (Women in Science and Humanities) rewards EPFL best female students and support them in their Master’s Thesis abroad.

Teaching

 
 
 
 
 
EPFL
System Neurosciences
EPFL
Feb 2024 – Jun 2024

Teaching assistant for Master’s course of Prof. Mackenzie Mathis. This was the first year that the course was given. This included:

  • Helping with the conception of the course, sections slides and exam questions.
  • Leading weekly journal clubs during the exercise sections, orienting the students to have a discussion on the papers we reviewed.
  • Follow-up on courses, answering questions and deepening complex concepts.
  • Reviewing, proctoring & correcting exams.
 
 
 
 
 
EPFL
Basic Neurosciences
EPFL
Sep 2023 – Dec 2023

Teaching assistant for third-year Bachelor’s students in the course of Prof. Mackenzie Mathis and Prof. Pavan Ramdya. This included:

  • Overview presentation at the beginning of every exercises sections.
  • Follow-up on courses, answering questions and deepening complex concepts.
  • Leading the exercises sessions, orienting students on difficult questions.
  • Reviewing, proctoring & correcting exams.
 
 
 
 
 
EPFL
Basic C++ and Algorithms
EPFL
Feb 2019 – Jul 2020

Teaching assistant for first-year Bachelor’s students in the course of Prof. Jamila Sam and Barbara Jobstmann. Both in person and remotly. This included:

  • Follow-up on courses, answering questions and deepening certain theoretical notions.
  • Leading the exercises sessions, orienting students on difficult questions.
  • Answering on Piazza forum / Zoom chat, keeping students motivated even remotly.
 
 
 
 
 
EPFL
Complex and vectorial analysis
EPFL
Feb 2019 – Jul 2020

Teaching assistant for second-year Bachelor’s students. Both in person and remotly. This included:

  • Follow-up on courses, answering questions and deepening certain theoretical notions.
  • Leading the exercises sessions, orienting students on difficult questions.
  • Answering on Piazza forum / Zoom chat, keeping students motivated even remotly.
 
 
 
 
 
EPFL
Thermodynamics and Relativity
EPFL
Feb 2017 – Jul 2019

Teaching assistant for first-year Bachelor’s students in the course of Prof. Ivo Furno. Both in person and remotly. This included:

  • Follow-up on courses, answering questions and deepening certain theoretical notions.
  • Leading the exercises sessions, orienting students on difficult questions.
  • Correcting mock-exams and presenting the solutions to the student on white board.
  • Answering on Piazza forum / Zoom chat, keeping students motivated even remotly.

Interests

Feminism
Environment
Running

Marathon, semi-marathon, trails

Mountain sports

Hiking, skiing, climbing

Acting
Water sports

Sailing, kite-surfing, scuba-diving