I am an Assistant Professor of Neural Science at New York University, and am jointly appointed as a Project Leader at the Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation. I am also part of the CILVR (Computational Intelligence, Learning, Vision, and Robotics) Group, and an affiliated faculty member at the Center for Data Science, and Cognition & Perception program at New York University.
My research interests are at the intersection of computational neuroscience and deep learning. I am interested in understanding computation in the brain and artificial neural networks by:
analyzing geometries underlying neural or feature representations, embedding and transferring information
developing neural network models and learning rules guided by neuroscience.
To do this, I use tools in statistical physics, machine learning, and high-dimensional geometry & statistics.
News
Selected Publications
(*: co-first, +: co-last)
A Spectral Theory of Neural Prediction and Alignment
Abdulkadir Canatar*, Jenelle Feather*, Albert Wakhloo, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2023) [arXiv version]
Selected for Spotlight Presentation
Learning Efficient Coding of Natural Images with Maximum Manifold Capacity Representations
Thomas Yerxa, Yilun Kuang, Eero Simoncelli, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2023) [arXiv version]
Linear Classification of Neural Manifolds with Correlated Variability
Albert Wakhloo, Tamara J. Sussman, SueYeon Chung
Physical Review Letters (2023) [arXiv version] [Viewpoint]
Selected for Editors' Suggestion, Featured in Physics
Neural population geometry: An approach for understanding biological and artificial neural networks
SueYeon Chung, L.F. Abbott
Current Opinion in Neurobiology (2021)
Separability and Geometry of Object Manifolds in Deep Neural Networks
Uri Cohen*, SueYeon Chung*, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Nature Communications (2020) [Supplementary Materials] [BioRxiv version] [Code]
Classification and Geometry of General Perceptual Manifolds
SueYeon Chung, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Physical Review X (2018) [Supplementary Materials]
Linear Readout of Object Manifolds
SueYeon Chung, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Physical Review E, Rapid Communications (2016) [Supplementary Materials]
All Publications
(*: co-first, +: co-last)
Statistical Mechanics of Support Vector Regression
Abdulkadir Canatar, SueYeon Chung
arXiv:2412.05439 (2024)
Contrastive-Equivariant Self-Supervised Learning Improves Alignment with Primate Visual Area IT
Thomas Yerxa, Jenelle Feather, Eero Simoncelli, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2024)
Representational Learning by Optimization of Neural Manifolds in an Olfactory Memory Network
Bo Hu, Nesibe Z. Temiz, Chi-Ning Chou, Peter Rupprecht, Claire Meissner-Bernard, Benjamin Titze, SueYeon Chung, Rainer W. Friedrich
bioRxiv 2024.11.17.623906 (2024)
Nonlinear classification of neural manifolds with contextual information
Francesca Mignacco, Chi-Ning Chou, SueYeon Chung
arXiv:2405.06851 (2024)
Neural Manifold Capacity Captures Representation Geometry, Correlations, and Task-Efficiency Across Species and Behaviors
Chi-Ning Chou, Luke Arend, Albert J. Wakhloo, Royoung Kim, Will Slatton, SueYeon Chung
bioRxiv 2024.02.26.582157 (2024)
Neural Population Geometry and Optimal Coding of Tasks with Shared Latent Structure
Albert J. Wakhloo, Will Slatton, SueYeon Chung
arXiv:2402.16770 (2024)
Probing Biological and Artificial Neural Networks with Task-dependent Neural Manifolds
Michael Kuoch*, Chi-Ning Chou*, Nikhil Parthasarathy, Joel Dapello, James J. DiCarlo, Haim Sompolinsky, SueYeon Chung
Conference on Parsimony and Learning (2024)
A Spectral Theory of Neural Prediction and Alignment
Abdulkadir Canatar*, Jenelle Feather*, Albert Wakhloo, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2023) [arXiv version]
Selected for Spotlight Presentation
Learning Efficient Coding of Natural Images with Maximum Manifold Capacity Representations
Thomas Yerxa, Yilun Kuang, Eero Simoncelli, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2023) [arXiv version]
Unsupervised learning on spontaneous retinal activity leads to efficient neural representation geometry
Andrew Ligeralde*, Yilun Kuang*, Thomas Yerxa, Miah N Pitcher, Marla Feller, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS Workshop on Unifying Representations in Neural Models (UniReps) (2023) [arXiv version]
A manifold neural population code for space in hippocampal coactivity dynamics independent of place fields
Eliott R.J. Levy, Simon Carrillo-Segura, Eun Hye Park, William T. Redman, José R. Hurtado, SueYeon Chung, André A. Fenton
Cell Reports (2023)
Social learning enhances stimulus representations in the auditory cortex
Nihaad Paraouty, Justin D. Yao, Léo Varnet, Chi-Ning Chou, SueYeon Chung, Dan H. Sanes
Nature Communications (2023)
Linear Classification of Neural Manifolds with Correlated Variability
Albert Wakhloo, Tamara J. Sussman, SueYeon Chung
Physical Review Letters (2023) [arXiv version] [Viewpoint]
Selected for Editors' Suggestion, Featured in Physics
Unveiling the benefits of multitasking in disentangled representation formation
Jenelle Feather, SueYeon Chung
Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2023)
Transformation of acoustic information to sensory decision variables in the parietal cortex
Justin D. Yao*, Klavdia O Zemlianova*, David L Hocker, Cristina Savin, Christine M Constantinople, SueYeon Chung, Dan H Sanes
PNAS (2023)
The Implicit Bias of Gradient Descent on Generalized Gated Linear Networks
Sam Lippl, L.F. Abbott, SueYeon Chung
arXiv:2022.02649 (2022)
Divisive Feature Normalization Improves Image Recognition Performance in AlexNet
Michelle Miller, SueYeon Chung, Kenneth D. Miller
ICLR (2022)
Neural population geometry: An approach for understanding biological and artificial neural networks
SueYeon Chung, L.F. Abbott
Current Opinion in Neurobiology (2021)
Credit Assignment Through Broadcasting a Global Error Vector
David G. Clark, L. F. Abbott, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2021)
Neural Population Geometry Reveals the Role of Stochasticity in Robust Perception
Joel Dapello*, Jenelle Feather*, Hang Le*, Tiago Marques, David Cox, Josh McDermott, Jim DiCarlo, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2021)
Matteo Alleman, Jonathan Mamou, Miguel A Del Rio, Hanlin Tang, Yoon Kim+, SueYeon Chung+
ACL Workshop, Representation Learning for NLP (2021)
Understanding the Logit Distributions of Adversarially-Trained Deep Neural Networks
Landan Seguin, Anthony Ndirango, Neeli Mishra, SueYeon Chung, Tyler Lee
arXiv:2108.12001 (2021)
On the Geometry of Generalization and Memorization in Deep Neural Networks
Cory Stephenson*, Suchismita Padhy*, Abhinav Ganesh, Yue Hui, Hanlin Tang, SueYeon Chung
ICLR (2021)
Emergence of Separable Manifolds in Deep Language Representations
Jonathan Mamou*, Hang Le*, Miguel Del Rio, Cory Stephenson, Hanlin Tang, Yoon Kim, SueYeon Chung
ICML (2020) [Supplementary Materials] [Code]
Separability and Geometry of Object Manifolds in Deep Neural Networks
Uri Cohen*, SueYeon Chung*, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Nature Communications (2020) [Supplementary Materials] [BioRxiv version] [Code]
On 1/n Neural Representation and Robustness
Josue Nassar*, Piotr Sokol*, SueYeon Chung, Kenneth Harris, Memming Park
NeurIPS (2020)
Untangling in Invariant Speech Recognition
Cory Stephenson, Jenelle Feather, Suchismita Padhy, Oguz Elibol, Hanlin Tang, Josh McDermott, SueYeon Chung
NeurIPS (2019) [Supplementary Materials] [Code]
Classification and Geometry of General Perceptual Manifolds
SueYeon Chung, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Physical Review X (2018) [Supplementary Materials]
Learning Data Manifolds with a Cutting Plane Method
SueYeon Chung, Uri Cohen, Haim Sompolinsky, Daniel D. Lee
Neural Computation (2018)
Statistical Mechanics of Neural Processing of Object Manifolds
SueYeon Chung
Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University (2017)
Linear Readout of Object Manifolds
SueYeon Chung, Daniel D. Lee, Haim Sompolinsky
Physical Review E, Rapid Communications (2016) [Supplementary Materials]
Small Molecule Injection into Single-Cell C. elegans Embryos via Carbon-Reinforced Nanopipettes
Lucy D. Brennan, Thibault Roland, Diane G. Morton, Shanna M. Fellman, SueYeon Chung, Mohammad Soltani, Joshua W. Kevek, Paul M. McEuen, Kenneth J. Kemphues, and Michelle D. Wang
PLoS ONE (2013)
Conferences & Workshops
Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE), 2022-2023 (Program Committee), 2024-Present (Workshop Co-chair)
Analytical Connectionism Summer School, 2023-2024 (Co-organizer)
CCN Junior Theoretical Neuroscientist's Workshop, 2023 (Co-organizer)
Les Houches Physics School: "Recent advances in understanding artificial & biological neural network," 2023 (Co-organizer)
Conference on the Mathematical Theory of Deep Neural Networks (DeepMath), 2020-2022 (Organizing committee)
Invited Talks (Selected)
128th Statistical Mechanics Conference, Rutgers University, May 2025 (Upcoming)
Natural Environments, Tasks, and Intelligence Symposium, UT Austin, Apr 2025 (Upcoming)
Statistical Physics Meets Machine Learning Symposium, APS March Meeting, Mar 2025 (Upcoming)
Qbio + Physics Seminar, Yale University, Feb 2025 (Upcoming)
UniReps Workshop, NeurIPS, Vancouver, Dec 2024
International Symposium on Physics of Intelligence (ISPI 2024), Tokyo, Japan, Nov 2024
2024 NIH BRAIN Initiative NeuroAI Workshop, Bethesda, MD, Nov 2024
Biophysics Seminar, Princeton University, Oct 2024
From Neuroscience to Artificially Intelligent Systems (NAISys), CSHL, Sep 2024
LMCRC Mathematical & Information Science Summit, Paris, Sep 2024
KISN Extended Workshop on Neural Computation, Trondheim, Norway, Jul 2024
ELLIS-CIFAR workshop: World Models: Causality, Neuroscience and AI Safety, Tuebingen, Germany, Jun 2024
Machine Learning Seminar, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, Jun 2024
MIT-HUJI Workshop on Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Sestri Levante, Italy, May 2024
ELLIS-CIFAR workshop: Conceptual challenges in learning and computation, Bocconi University, Milan, May 2024
Seminar, Center for Soft Matter Research, NYU, May 2024
ICLR Workshop on Representation Alignment (Re-Align), Vienna, Austria, May 2024
Computational Neuroscience Seminar, UPenn, Mar 2024
Keynote Talk, Conference on Parsimony and Learning (CPAL), Hong Kong, Jan 2024
Keynote Talk, NeurIPS Workshop, Sensorium Competition, New Orleans, LO, Dec 2023
Physics Colloquium, Washington University in St. Louis, Nov 2023
Stanford MBCT Seminar, Nov 2023
Neuro-AI in Montreal Workshop, MILA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Oct 2023
Lake Conferences: Neural Coding and Dynamics, Seattle, WA, Sep 2023
Plenary Talk, ICML Workshop on High-dimensional Learning Dynamics, Honolulu, HI, Jul 2023
Neuroscience Seminar, University of Chicago, Apr 2023
"Brainy Days in Jerusalem: The Future of Neuroscience" symposium, Jerusalem, Israel, Dec 2022
Optica (OSA) Fall Vision Meeting, Rochester, New York, Oct 2022
Kavli Salon: Network Science Meets Neuroscience, Oct 2022
Nature conference on AI, neuroscience and hardware, Bonn, Germany, Sep 2022
Swartz Seminar, NYU Center for Neural Science, Sep 2022
Keynote Talk, KDD Conference, AdvML'22 Workshop, Aug 2022
Guest Lecture, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories Summer Course on Visual Computational Neuroscience, July 2022
SISSA "Neuroscience and statistical physics" symposium, Trieste, Italy, June 2022
Duke Neurobiology Computational & Theoretical Neuroscience Meetings, May 2022
McGill Seminar Series in Quantitative Life Sciences and Medicine, Apr 2022
Stanford Friday Seminar Series on Cognitive Science & Neuroscience, Apr 2022
COSYNE 2022 Workshop on Representation Geometry, Mar 2022
Harvard Machine Learning Theory Seminar, Feb 2022
WWTNS (World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar Series), Jan 2022
BIRS Workshop, Dynamical principles of biological and artificial neural networks, Jan 2022
(Virtual) Neuro-AI Seminar, Facebook AI Research, Oct 2021
(Virtual) Bernstein Conference, Workshop: "Neural geometry: low-dimensional manifolds and high-dimensional representations", Sep 2021
(Virtual) Youth in High Dimensions, International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP Trieste) Meeting, June 2021
(Virtual) Institute of Neuroscience seminar series, University of Oregon, June 2021
(Virtual) Guest lecture, Advanced Topics in Machine Learning, Caltech, June 2021
(Virtual) Innovators in Neuroscience: from Molecules to Mind, May 2021
(Virtual) Computational Neuroscience Initiative Basel (CNIB) Lecture Series, Jan 2021
(Virtual) MINDS & CIS Seminar Series, Center for Imaging Science, Johns Hopkins University, Nov 2020
(Virtual) 2020 International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience, Session: Mathematical Theory of Deep Learning, July 2020
Workshop “Plasticity and Learning”, European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience in Paris, France, Jan 2020
The 3rd Montreal Artificial Intelligence & Neuroscience (MAIN 2019) conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Nov 2019
Grossman Center Workshop on Quantifying Structure in Large Neural Datasets, Aspen, CO, Sep 2019
Bernstein Conference, Satellite Workshops (2 talks), Berlin, Germany, Sep 2019
CNS 2019 Workshop: "Functional Network Dynamics: Recent Mathematical Perspectives", Barcelona, Spain, July 2019
EPFL Neuro Symposium: "Neuroscience Meets Deep Learning", Brain Mind Institute, Lausanne, Switzerland, July 2019
C&T (Computation & Theory) Seminar Series, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, June 2019
NIMH/NIH Symposium: "From Neural Activity to Behavior: Computational Modeling of the Nervous System", Bethesda, MD, April 2019
CNS 2018 Workshop: "How does learning reshape dimensionality of collective network activity?", Seattle, WA, July 2018
COSYNE 2018 Workshop: "Manifold-splaining: what the theorist said to the experimentalist", Breckenridge, CO, Mar 2018
External Seminar, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at UCL, London, UK, Oct 2017
COSYNE 2017 Workshop: "Deep Learning" and the brain: understanding neural representations with deep networks, Snowbird, UT, Feb 2017
Teaching
Graduate Seminar, "Neural Networks: Theory & Applications", Spring 2024 (NYU)
Methods in Computational Neuroscience, 2019 (Teaching Assistant), 2024 (Course Lecturer) (Woods Hole, MA)
Brains, Minds, Machines course, 2015-2017 (Teaching Assistant), 2024 (Guest Lecturer) (Woods Hole, MA)
MCB 131: Computational Neuroscience, 2013, 2015 (Harvard University) w/ Haim Sompolinsky [also known as NEURO 131/PHYSICS 131]
APMTH 147: Nonlinear Dynamics, Fall 2011 (Harvard University)
PHYS 213: Electricity and Magnetism, Summer 2009 (Cornell University)