Theoretical neuroscience
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, at the Zuckerman Institute of Columbia University, working with Ashok Litwin-Kumar.
I use recurrent neural network models to understand the structure and function of neural systems.
Research
My research asks how the architecture of neural circuits shapes the computations they can perform. I develop theoretical and data-driven models of recurrent neural networks, with a focus on connectome-constrained dynamics, interactions between brain regions, and flexible timing.
During my PhD with Srdjan Ostojic at the Ecole Normale Superieure, I studied how low-dimensional network structure and multiple neural populations shape recurrent dynamics. Before that, I trained in theoretical physics at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and in computational neuroscience at the Bernstein Center in Berlin.
Selected Publications
You can find my full list of publications on Google Scholar. Below is a selection of some of my recent publications.
- Prediction of neural activity in connectome-constrained recurrent networks. Manuel Beiran and Ashok Litwin-Kumar. Nature Neuroscience, 2025. doi
- Structure of activity in multiregion recurrent neural networks. David G. Clark and Manuel Beiran. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025. doi
- Parametric control of flexible timing through low-dimensional neural manifolds. Manuel Beiran*, Nicolas Meirhaeghe*, Hansem Sohn, Mehrdad Jazayeri, and Srdjan Ostojic. Neuron, 2023. doi
- Shaping dynamics with multiple populations in low-rank recurrent networks. Manuel Beiran, Alexis Dubreuil, Adrian Valente, Francesca Mastrogiuseppe, and Srdjan Ostojic. Neural Computation, 2021. doi
Teaching
Since 2022, I have taught Advanced Topics in Computational Neuroscience at the Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, first as course coordinator for two years and then as an instructor.
I previously taught Methods in Computational Neuroscience in the Cogmaster program at the Ecole Normale Superieure in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Contact
Center for Theoretical Neuroscience
Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University
Jerome L. Greene Science Center, 3227 Broadway
New York, NY 10027