Kanaka Rajan

K.Rajan Profile Picture

Kanaka Rajan is a computational neuroscientist known for her work in developing mathematical models to understand brain function. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Early Life and Education

Kanaka Rajan was born in India. She completed her undergraduate studies in Physics at the University of Madras. She then moved to the United States to pursue her graduate studies. Rajan earned her Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Columbia University, where she worked under the supervision of Liam Paninski.

Career

After completing her Ph.D., Rajan conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University in the laboratory of David Tank. During her postdoctoral work, she developed advanced computational models to study the dynamics of neural circuits.

In 2017, Rajan joined the faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research focuses on understanding how neural circuits in the brain give rise to complex behaviors. She uses a combination of theoretical and computational approaches to study the brain's function at multiple levels, from single neurons to large-scale networks.

Research

Rajan's research aims to bridge the gap between experimental neuroscience and theoretical models. She has developed several influential models that have provided insights into how the brain processes information. Her work has applications in understanding neuropsychiatric disorders and developing new treatments.

Some of her notable contributions include:

• Developing models to understand the role of recurrent neural networks in memory and decision-making.
• Investigating the dynamics of neural circuits involved in sensory processing.
• Studying the impact of neuromodulators on brain function.

Awards and Honors

Kanaka Rajan has received several awards for her contributions to neuroscience, including:

• The Sloan Research Fellowship in Neuroscience.
• The Kavli Fellowship.
• The NIH Director's New Innovator Award.

Personal Life

Rajan is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in science. She actively mentors students and participates in outreach programs to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue careers in STEM fields.

See Also

• Computational Neuroscience
• Neural Circuit
• Neuropsychiatric Disorders
• Recurrent Neural Network