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Welcome to my homepage! I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at Northern State University. My research focuses on computational models of neural networks and their applications to understanding brain function.

I received my Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from MIT in 1991, and my B.Sc. in Computer Science and Biology (double major) from the University of Edinburgh in 1987. Before joining NSU, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Neural Computation at Berkeley (1991-1994).

When not in the lab, I enjoy hiking, photography, and playing classical piano. I live in Springfield with my wife Elena (a molecular biologist) and our two cats, Pascal and Turing.

My laboratory focuses on several interrelated areas of computational neuroscience:

• Neural Network Modeling - Development of biologically plausible neural network architectures that can replicate aspects of human cognition and learning.
• Information Processing in the Visual Cortex - Computer simulations of how the visual cortex processes and integrates information.
• Temporal Dynamics of Neural Systems - Mathematical models of timing and synchronization in neural circuits.
• Applications to Artificial Intelligence - Applying insights from neuroscience to improve artificial neural networks.

Our lab has recently been awarded an NSF grant ($750,000) to develop next-generation neural simulation software that bridges the gap between artificial neural networks and biologically realistic models. This project is in collaboration with researchers at the Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience.

NEW! We are currently looking for graduate students and postdocs interested in neural simulation for the 1998-1999 academic year. Please email me if you are interested.

Recent Journal Articles:

• Young, T., & Johnson, P. (1998). "Temporal synchronization in modular neural network architectures." Neural Computation, 10(3), 578-593.
• Young, T., Smith, R., & Park, L. (1997). "Information processing limits in simulated visual cortex networks." Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 4(2), 112-133.
• Young, T., MacLeod, M., & Williams, S. (1996). "Hebbian learning in recurrent networks with variable delay." Biological Cybernetics, 75(4), 301-314.
• Young, T. (1995). "Computational constraints on neural circuit development." Trends in Neurosciences, 18(5), 208-216.

Book Chapters:

• Young, T. (1997). "Neural networks and biological learning systems." In M. Anderson (Ed.), Computational Models of Cognition (pp. 234-259). Cambridge: MIT Press.
• Harris, K., Young, T., & Thompson, R. (1994). "Modeling cortical development." In J. Davies & P. Smith (Eds.), Neural Networks and Natural Intelligence (pp. 178-202). San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann.

I regularly teach the following courses at Northern State University:

• COGS 302: Introduction to Computational Neuroscience (Fall Semester)
• COGS 411: Neural Networks and Brain Modeling (Spring Semester)
• COGS 517: Advanced Topics in Neural Computation (Graduate Seminar, alternate years)
• CS 386: Biological Computation (Cross-listed with Biology Department)

Course materials for Fall 1997 classes are available on the university gopher server. Please see your syllabus for access details.

Ph.D. Students:

• Jennifer Martinez (4th year) - Temporal coding in neural networks
• David Kim (3rd year) - Visual pattern recognition algorithms
• Robert Chen (2nd year) - Hierarchical processing in neural systems
• Sarah Williams (2nd year) - Information-theoretic approaches to neural communication

Master's Students:

• Michael Johnson - Signal processing in the retina
• Laura Peterson - Computer models of neuroplasticity
• Ian McGregor - Exchange student from University of Edinburgh

Taras Young
Department of Cognitive Sciences
Northern State University
3200 University Drive
Springfield, ST 12345

Office: Science Building, Room 305
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Fax: (555) 123-4568
Email: tyoung@nsu.edu

Office Hours: 
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-4:00 PM
or by appointment

Visiting Address (Sept-Dec 1998):
c/o Michael Fourman
Division of Informatics
University of Edinburgh
4 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh EH8 9LW, Scotland

Please feel free to sign my guestbook before you leave!