HDSI Seminar Series – Ann Kennedy – Latent state inference from neural dynamics and behavior

Talk Time: Mon Jan 12th, 2026 | 2:00pm

Location: Data Science Building 1st Floor, Room 123

Talk Abstract
As we interact with the world around us, we experience a constant stream of sensory inputs, and must generate a constant stream of behavioral actions. What makes brains more than simple input-output machines is their capacity to integrate sensory inputs with our internal motivations and drives to produce behavior that is flexible and adaptive. How can we uncover evidence of this integration from observed neural activity? In this talk, I will present our lab’s recent work inferring the structure and dynamics of latent motivational states from the observed actions and neural activity of freely behaving mice. We draw on classical normative models of animal behavior from ethology, showing how these models can help us analyze and interpret experimental data to understand how the circuit architecture of the brain gives rise to the algorithms of survival.

Speaker Biography
Ann Kennedy is a theoretical neuroscientist interested in understanding how the structure of the nervous system gives rise to its function. Originally from Virginia, they studied Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins and Neuroscience at Columbia University, where they earned my PhD in the lab of Larry Abbott in the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Dr Kennedy pursued postdoctoral training in the lab of David Anderson at Caltech, and opened their lab at Northwestern University in 2020, moving to Scripps Research in 2024.
The Kennedy Lab studies the underlying neuroscience and brain structures that give rise to fundamental behaviors related to fear, survival and social interactions. By better understanding the neural activities that guide our decision-making and behavior, Dr. Kennedy’s work aims to reveal insights about the guiding principles of behavior, as well as what happens in cases of dysfunctions—for example, social dysfunction or excessive fear and anxiety.