Education & Professional

I have a B.A. in Cognitive Science and M.S. in Applied mathematics from the University of Helsinki. Currently pursuing for PhD in statistics.

I was working as a research assistant at Vision Systems Physiology group, Low Temperature Lab / Brain Research Unit, Helsinki University of Technology 2005-2007. Trying to squeeze out the truth from human V1 using fMRI. I was also more or less involved with Visual Science Group at the Helsinki University. Some output from that era below.

After this I spent some time with the Computational Neuroscience Group at the Laboratory of computational engineering, Helsinki University of Technology. My work was a part of a bigger project aiming at building a functional brain for an autonomous mobile robot. It was related to the action selection and reinforcement learning, which in case of the good old biological brain are implemented in the basal ganglia. 

At the moment I'm working at Helsinki Insitute for Information Technology with Neuroinformatics group. Not so much about brain at the moment. More related to estimation theory and machine learning.

On a side I've been working with Ruby on Rails web sites/applications like vuokraforum.fi and staffgrid.com, and contributing to some more artsy projects like brainwavemusic.org.

Journal papers

• Pihlaja, M., Henriksson, L., James, A., & Vanni, S. (2008). Quantitative multifocal fMRI shows active suppression in human V1.  Human Brain Mapping, 29(9):1001-14.

Conference papers

• Pihlaja, M., Gutmann, M., Hyvärinen, A. (2010). A Family of Computationally Efficient and Simple Estimators for Unnormalized Statistical Models.
  Uncertainty in Artificia Intelligence (UAI 2010).

Conference Posters

• Pihlaja, M, Valpola, H. (2007). A model of cerebellar automation of voluntary basal-ganglia control. [Nordic neuroinformatics workshop 2007]. 
• Vanni, S., Pihlaja, M., James, A., & Henriksson, L. (2006). Multifocal fMRI shows spatial interactions in human primary visual cortex.Journal of Vision, 6(6), 569a [VSS -06]
  

• Laurinen P.I., Olzak L.A., Nurminen L.O. & Pihlaja M.E (2005). Does surround size matter in contrast-gain control? Perception 34, 211. [ECVP -05]

So that's all official, but I'm also interested in...

...well, I guess way too many things. Computational neuroscience and figuring out how the brain works. Mathematics, economics, cutting edge information technologies, performing arts, combining art and science in general, you name it...

I hear you ask... Not quite, most of my free time is efficiently spent by dancing. Various things from ballet to butoh, but mostly contemporary.

FAQ

Q: zonpantli?

A: If you know what it means, you tell me. Anyway, here's where it comes from.

Q: So aren't you a bit concerned that your site is hosted by Big Brotherish quasi information monopol behemoth like Google?

A: Yes, umm... you see I...

"But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved the scholar"