BioMaths Colloquium Series – 2023/24
6 December 2023 – 1pm
Join us at 12:45 for coffee tea and biscuits
Research Crucible (room 108, Computational Foundry, Bay Campus) or Zoom (register here)
Professor Jiaxiang Zhang
(Cognition and Computational Brain Lab, Swansea University)
Neurocognitive modelling of rapid decision-making in humans
Jiaxiang Zhang is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Department of Computer Science. His research focuses on human and machine intelligence. He combines computational modelling, machine learning, brain imaging, and experimental approaches to understand human cognition, ageing, and cognitive deficits in neurological and psychiatric disorders. On machine intelligence, he is interested in developing artificial agents to mimic the human capacity of complex cognitive operation and social interaction.
Abstract:
A hallmark of cognitive control is the ability to make decisions quickly and accurately, drawing from external information or endogenous factors. When information, reward, risk or cost is not evaluated optimally, it can result in subpar or inefficient decision-making, often seen in various neurological disorders. This talk will explore the application of bounded stochastic processes as a cognitive model of decision-making. Through analytical solutions and numerical simulations, this family of models offers insights into how decision deficits and strategic alterations manifest through changes in its key parameters, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying suboptimal decision-making. Furthermore, we will discuss the use of a simplified model to analyse multimodal brain imaging data (functional MRI, diffusion MRI and EEG), dissecting and localizing the neurocognitive processes underlying human decision-making.