Team

Arijit Bhattacharya

Ph.D. Student 

Arijit Bhattacharya is a Ph.D. student in Cognitive Neuroscience at MBBS Lab, Department of Psychology, Ashoka University. His research interest lies in the realm of translational neuroscience, auditory perception, music cognition, memory, dementia and neuroimaging. He graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Technology and Masters of Technology in Biotechnology from the School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to be University. Before joining the Ph.D. program at Ashoka, he pursued training in cognitive neurology from the Department of Neurology, National Institute Of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and is currently continuing his research work as a collaborative research project between Ashoka University and NIMHANS. He is also a integrated music therapist and is working with the Indian Music Therapy Association. Arijit is a public speaker and is working towards creating awareness for neurological conditions, mental health concerns and science communication. Arijit is a Sitar Player and has won several national-level awards at different competitions and concerts. He writes blogs on neuroscience and music on his webpage “The Musical Brains”.

Dipanjan Ray

Principal Investigator

Dipanjan was trained as a physician-physiologist. In his doctoral thesis, he developed a novel method to (re)construct 3D Vectorcariograms from 2D Electrocardiograms and established its clinical translatability. In his postdoc, he shifted from the cardiac signals to the most complex biological system of all: the human brain. Using functional MRI and brain connectivity analysis he provided insights into the neural processing of visual stimuli. In his second postdoc, he employed magnetoencephalography to examine how human brain perceives statistical regularities in the environment. In recent times, his research has focused on mental health and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. When he is not getting bogged down with debugging his codes, or hiking in the Himalayas, or communicating with the dead through reading...you can find him... thinking!

Mahika Sampat

Independent Study Module Project Student

Mahika Sampat is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Philosophy with a minor in Performing Arts at Ashoka University. As a trained Odissi dancer and performer, she brings a unique perspective to her academic pursuits. Her research interests lie at the intersection of cognitive science, philosophy, and aesthetics, with a particular focus on Rasa Theory, the philosophy of emotions, emotional perception, and performative emotions. She is particularly interested in exploring the complex relationships between psychological processes, philosophical concepts, and artistic expression. Her current research examines the nature and experience of emotions in performance contexts, integrating insights from both Eastern and Western traditions of thought.

Parmeshwar Dewangan

PhD Student

Parmeshwar (Param) is a Ph.D. student in Cognitive Neuroscience at MBBS lab, Department of Psychology, Ashoka University. His research interests lie in mathematical frameworks for brain theories encompassing perception, cognition, learning, thoughts and complex processes of understanding. Particularly he is interested in scientific study of the phenomenological properties of conscious experience. Wisdom literature and Indian philosophies have consistently been integral to his life, providing him with a philosophical understanding of consciousness. Param comes from a physics background, his postgraduate thesis was centered on substructures in galaxy groups and clusters. His hobbies include cricket, table tennis, gym workouts, travel, poetry-story writing, and a bit of acting.

Soibam Shyamchand Singh

Project Scientist III

"I completed my Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from CIRBS, Jamia Millia Islamia (in collaboration with SCIS, Jawaharlal Nehru University). I was always intrigued by the complexity and diversity of human thought processes, and most importantly the certain amount of predictability associated with these processes. To explore the underlying brain processes, I focus my research on the study of system-level organizations of brain structures and functions, using modeling approaches such as graph theory and coupled oscillator models." 

Urvashi Jinwal

Project Associate

Urvashi Jinwal completed her B. Tech in Engineering Physics and M. Tech in Optical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum. She has worked on experimentation and image analysis of digital holograms of moving 3-D objects. After that, she worked as a scientist in the Department of Space developing and maintaining atmospheric LiDAR systems. Her current work focuses on the development of a virtual reality paradigm for the study of investigation in sensorimotor alteration in depression at MBBS lab. Her research interests lie in social psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. She is also pursuing an M.A. in psychology from IGNOU via distance and self-learning. While not working you can find her practicing calligraphy, doodling quotes, journaling, talking to trees and birds, reading self-help books, or practicing keyboard.

Anushka Ravishankar

Former Capstone Thesis Student

Department of Psychology, Ashoka University

Master's thesis: Eating Disorder Behavioural and Psychological Features in an Indian Community Sample: A Network Analysis 

Ismail Bouziane

Former Master's Student

The University of The Basque Country (UPV/EHU)

Master's thesis: Investigating Anxiety Associated Changes in Effective Connectivity in Sensorimotor Cortices