Sepideh Heydari
I am currently a second-year Master's student in the Cognition and Brain Sciences. My interests are unlimited when it comes to cognitive research but I am particularly interested in computational modeling of brain functions and would like to implement new models including neural network simulations to find out underlying mechanisms of memory, decision making, cognitive control and vision.
The focus of our lab is on Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL). We are interested in EEG data obtained from participants and seek to find the sources that generate Error-Related Negativity (ERN) and Reward positivity (Rew-P).
I am also eager to develop models of Grid cells in entorhinal cortex with MATLAB which are believed to have a role in some aspects of episodic memory.
Supervisor
Representative publications
Heydari, S., & Holroyd, C., (submitted) Reward Positivity: Reward Prediction Error or Salience Prediction Error?
Representative presentations
Heydari, S., Holroyd, C., (2015), Reward Positivity: Reward Prediction Error or Salience Prediction Error?, Poster presentation given at the 2nd annual conference of Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making (RLDM), Edmonton, Canada.
Heydari, S., Holroyd, C., (2015), Reward Positivity: Reward Prediction Error or Salience Prediction Error?, Poster presentation given at the 55th annual meeting of Society for Psychophysiological Research, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Heydari, S., (2014). Brain mechanisms of episodic memory: an oscillatory model of grid cells, Emotional Cognition Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester.
Recent Awards
July 2015 - UVic Grad Award
June 2015 - Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Excellence Award.
January 2013 - First Personal Narrative Short Story, Diversity Writing Contest, University of Victoria.
September 2012 - Admission to the University of Victoria in the field of Psychology Cognition and Brain Sciences.