The eCortex team is comprised some of the leading international experts in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience. We're an affiliate and technology transfer partner of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Randall C. O’Reilly, Ph.D., Chief Scientist
Dr. O’Reilly is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has authored over 50 journal articles and an influential textbook on computational cognitive neuroscience. His work focuses on biologically-based computational models of learning mechanisms in different brain areas, including hippocampus, prefrontal cortex & basal ganglia, and posterior visual cortex. He has received significant funding from NIH, NSF, ONR, and DARPA. He is a primary author of the Emergent neural network simulation environment. O’Reilly completed a postdoctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and was awarded an A.B. degree with highest honors in Psychology from Harvard University.
Dr. O’Reilly is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has authored over 50 journal articles and an influential textbook on computational cognitive neuroscience. His work focuses on biologically-based computational models of learning mechanisms in different brain areas, including hippocampus, prefrontal cortex & basal ganglia, and posterior visual cortex. He has received significant funding from NIH, NSF, ONR, and DARPA. He is a primary author of the Emergent neural network simulation environment. O’Reilly completed a postdoctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and was awarded an A.B. degree with highest honors in Psychology from Harvard University.
Seth Herd, Ph.D., CEO
Dr. Herd is a senior research associate at the University of Colorado. His scientific work includes neural network theories of phenomena including attention, visual search, executive function, and cross-modal learning, and he has been involved in and helped manage projects addressing the neural computations underlying episodic memory, working memory, planning, task-switching decision-making, and sensemaking. His interests include the applications of neural network theories of brain function to creating narrow and general artificial intelligence, and explaining human consciousness and ethics. He earned a doctorate degree in psychology and neuroscience from the University of Colorado, a bachelors in psychology also from CU, and a bachelors in physics with highest honors from Earlham College.
Dr. Herd is a senior research associate at the University of Colorado. His scientific work includes neural network theories of phenomena including attention, visual search, executive function, and cross-modal learning, and he has been involved in and helped manage projects addressing the neural computations underlying episodic memory, working memory, planning, task-switching decision-making, and sensemaking. His interests include the applications of neural network theories of brain function to creating narrow and general artificial intelligence, and explaining human consciousness and ethics. He earned a doctorate degree in psychology and neuroscience from the University of Colorado, a bachelors in psychology also from CU, and a bachelors in physics with highest honors from Earlham College.
David Jilk, Co-Founder, Board Member/Advisor
Mr. Jilk has an extensive business and technical background in both the software industry and the Internet. Most recently Co-Founder and CEO of Standing Cloud (now part of AppDirect), Dave was previously CEO of Xaffire, Inc., a developer of web application management software. Before that, he was co-founder and CEO of Wideforce Systems, Inc.; Associate Partner at SOFTBANK Venture Capital (now Mobius); CTO at planet U, Inc. and Bigbow.com, Inc.; President and CEO of GO Software, Inc.; and Vice President and co-founder of Feld Technologies, Inc. He independently advises startup firms and has provided technology due-diligence services for a variety of investors and acquirers. Jilk holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Jilk has an extensive business and technical background in both the software industry and the Internet. Most recently Co-Founder and CEO of Standing Cloud (now part of AppDirect), Dave was previously CEO of Xaffire, Inc., a developer of web application management software. Before that, he was co-founder and CEO of Wideforce Systems, Inc.; Associate Partner at SOFTBANK Venture Capital (now Mobius); CTO at planet U, Inc. and Bigbow.com, Inc.; President and CEO of GO Software, Inc.; and Vice President and co-founder of Feld Technologies, Inc. He independently advises startup firms and has provided technology due-diligence services for a variety of investors and acquirers. Jilk holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ananta Nair, Modeler
Ms Nair graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a double major in Psychology, emphasis in Neuroscience, Studio Art, and minored in Business with an emphasis in Analytics. After graduation, her work has focused on using neural networks to examine learning, planning, and decision making. Currently she is combining neuroscience data with computational modeling to represent how learning occurs and how learned information can be used for motivated-goal oriented or risky decision making. Her other research interests include object categorization, visual and auditory processing, neuroevolution, and deep neural networks. In the future, Ananta aims to combine biologically based general artificial intelligence networks with robotics to create smarter machines for industry-specific or space application.
Ms Nair graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a double major in Psychology, emphasis in Neuroscience, Studio Art, and minored in Business with an emphasis in Analytics. After graduation, her work has focused on using neural networks to examine learning, planning, and decision making. Currently she is combining neuroscience data with computational modeling to represent how learning occurs and how learned information can be used for motivated-goal oriented or risky decision making. Her other research interests include object categorization, visual and auditory processing, neuroevolution, and deep neural networks. In the future, Ananta aims to combine biologically based general artificial intelligence networks with robotics to create smarter machines for industry-specific or space application.
Kai Krueger, P.h.D., Modeler
Dr. Krueger is a research associate at eCortex, specializing in understanding higher level cognition. His interests are in figuring out the computations performed by the brain on an abstract, algorithmic level. His scientific work includes, modeling of cognitive biases, comparisons of Bayesian and neural network reasoning, developing neural network implementations of sequential reasoning and the study of the ability of neural networks to learn from sequential curricula. An overarching interest thereby is to figure out the computational primitives and the “programming language” of the brain that enable general purpose, flexible computations. He received a P.h.D from University College London at the Gatsby computational neuroscience unit and a B.A. with first class honours in computer science from Cambridge University, UK.
Dr. Krueger is a research associate at eCortex, specializing in understanding higher level cognition. His interests are in figuring out the computations performed by the brain on an abstract, algorithmic level. His scientific work includes, modeling of cognitive biases, comparisons of Bayesian and neural network reasoning, developing neural network implementations of sequential reasoning and the study of the ability of neural networks to learn from sequential curricula. An overarching interest thereby is to figure out the computational primitives and the “programming language” of the brain that enable general purpose, flexible computations. He received a P.h.D from University College London at the Gatsby computational neuroscience unit and a B.A. with first class honours in computer science from Cambridge University, UK.
Jessica Mollick, Ph.D candidate, Modeler
Jessica Mollick is currently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Colorado, and has a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on building computational models of the different brain areas that communicate with the dopamine system in emotional learning and decision making tasks, and testing the predictions of these models empirically with methods such as fMRI analysis. She is especially interested in the interactions between prefrontal cortical areas and limbic areas like the ventral striatum, dopamine system and amygdala and how these interactions influence behavior and cognition in affective contexts.
Jessica Mollick is currently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Colorado, and has a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on building computational models of the different brain areas that communicate with the dopamine system in emotional learning and decision making tasks, and testing the predictions of these models empirically with methods such as fMRI analysis. She is especially interested in the interactions between prefrontal cortical areas and limbic areas like the ventral striatum, dopamine system and amygdala and how these interactions influence behavior and cognition in affective contexts.
Joshua Sroge, Chief Financial Officer
Mr Sroge has been the CFO of e-Cortex since 2014, and has worked in finance and accounting with a wide variety of businesses over his 25-year career: chemical, energy and biotech, software and IT distribution, medical and sports equipment manufacturing, and service industries. Joshua has been in both financial and operational leadership capacities with local companies such as Kryptonics, Image Guided Technologies, Access Graphics, and Spatial Corp. In the past ten years he has been consulting with early to mid-stage technology companies to successfully raise capital, develop infrastructure, and enable commercialization.
Mr Sroge has been the CFO of e-Cortex since 2014, and has worked in finance and accounting with a wide variety of businesses over his 25-year career: chemical, energy and biotech, software and IT distribution, medical and sports equipment manufacturing, and service industries. Joshua has been in both financial and operational leadership capacities with local companies such as Kryptonics, Image Guided Technologies, Access Graphics, and Spatial Corp. In the past ten years he has been consulting with early to mid-stage technology companies to successfully raise capital, develop infrastructure, and enable commercialization.
