I am currently working as Cognitive Neuroscientist at Unilever R&D, Netherlands after pursuing PhD (Cognitive Neuroscience) from University of Cambridge, U.K. (2004 - 2008). My PhD research was focussed on functional neuroimaging of monetary reward processing in the human brain. I have been awarded prestigious Cambridge Nehru scholarship (one among 8 PhD studentiships offerred across all discipline from the entire country), ORSAS award for overseas students with excellent potential for research and Elected Fellow of Cambridge Commonwealth Society. I have been working on understanding the human brain using functional MRI (2000 - 2008) and applying them in real world problems (2008 - 2010). Prior to joining Cambridge University, I did M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence (2002-04) and M.Sc. Electronics (1998-2000), both from University of Hyderabad, India. I worked as a Research assistant (2000-02) in Indo-Japanese Project on "Sequence Learning: An fMRI Investigation" with Dr. Raju S. Bapi in collaboration with Dr. Kenji Doya and was funded by the Kawato Dynamic Brain project, ERATO, JST, Japan. I was a visiting researcher to Advanced Telecommunications Research laboratories, Kyoto, Japan under ERATO and CREST schemes of JST during Dec 2000-Jan 2001 and July-Sept 2003.
Research Interests
My main research interest is in understanding how humans acquire intelligent behaviour. My themes of research so far have been on sequential skill learning and reward processing. I often ponder over the relationship between learning, memory, motivation, reward, and emotion. The goal would be to get a holistic view point of human cognition. Another stream of interest is on the computational aspects of explaining human behavior above outlined.
Collaborations
Supervisors
Prof. Raju S. Bapi
Prof. Kenji Doya
Prof. Wolfram Schultz
Prof. Philippe Tobler
Dr. E. H. Zandstra
Colleagues
Pammi V.S. Chandrasekhar
Ahmed
Sesharao M. Wanjerkhede
Yorgos Christopoulos
Lucy Gregorios-Pippas
Arne Jol
E. S. Mitchell
Awards
Overseas Research Scholarship (ORS) Award for Ph.D study at University of Cambridge, UK (Oct 2004 - date)
Cambridge Nehru Scholarship by Nehru Trust for Cambridge University, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust (Oct 2004 - date)
Editor’s Choice Award, NeuroImage, 2006
Best Poster Award, Building the Brain Conference, National Brain Research Center, India 2003
Best Poster Award, International Conference on Theoretical neurobiology, National Brain Research Center, India 2003
·Invited Lecture, Neuroeconomics, Center for Behavioural and Cognitive Science, University of Allahabad, 2009
·Visiting Lectures to Masters students, Reinforcement Learning, Center for Behavioural and Cognitive Science, University of Allahabad, 2009
·Editor’s Choice Award for publication in NeuroImage, 2006.
·Best Poster awards at Building the Brain, NBRC, Delhi, 2003, International Conference on Theoretical Neurobiology, NBRC, Delhi, 2003.
·Training provided on neuroimaging analysis softwares to Radiology Department, National Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
·Graduate Record Examination (2002) high scores (out of 800): Quantitative – 800 and Analytical – 750
·Test of English as Foreign Language (2003) score 273 / 300 and Test of Written English 6.0 / 6.0
·Qualified in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), India –in Computer Science Discipline with 90.45 percentile (2003), in Electronics and Communication Discipline with 76.03 percentile (2000).
Merit Certificate in State Mathematics Olympiad at under-graduate level
Publications
Journal Articles
R.S. Bapi, K.P. Miyapuram, F.X.Graydon, K. Doya (2006). fMRI investigation of cortical and subcortical networks in the learning of abstract and effector-specific representations of motor sequences. Neuroimage, 32(2), 714-727. {Editor’s Choice Award for the year 2006}
R.S. Bapi, V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, Ahmed. Investigation of sequence processing: A cognitive and computational neuroscience perspective. Current Science, 89(10), pp.1690–1698, 2005.
Journal (in preparation/ communicated)
K.P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler,L. Gregorios-Pippas, W. Schultz. Activation of human midbrain by stimuli associated with reward imagination.
K.P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler,L. Gregorios-Pippas, W. Schultz.Illusion of monetary rewards in the human brain.
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. Neural bases of sequence learning and visuomotor mappings.
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. Neural activation supporting two dimensions of complexity in visuomotorsequential skill learning.
Ahmed, V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. Neural correlates of trial and error versus supervised learning of visuomotor skills.
Book Chapters (Published / in press)
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram. NeuroEconomics of Individual Decision Making at Multiple levels: A Review (in press), Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy {Invited Review}
Ahmed, R.S. Bapi,V.S.C. Pammi, K. P. Miyapuram, K. Doya. Behavioural study of the effect of trial and error versus supervised learning of visuomotor skills. In: Srinivasan, N., Kar, B. R., Pandey, J. (eds.), Advances in Cognitive Science: Volume 2, SAGE Publications, 2009.
V.S.C. Pammi, K. P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, K. Doya. Hierarchical organization of complex visuo-motor sequences. In: Srinivasan, N., Gupta, A. K., & Pandey, J. (eds.), Advances in Cognitive Science: Volume 1, SAGE Publications, 2008.
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, K. Doya. Chunking Phenomenon in Complex Sequential Skill Learning in Humans. In: Pal, N.R., Kasabov, N., Mudi, R.K., Pal, S., Parui, S.K. (eds.), Lecture notes in Computer Science, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Neural Information Processing (ICONIP 2004), Springer–Verlag, Heidelberg, 3316, pp. 294–299, 2004.
R.S. Bapi, V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, Methods and Approaches for Characterizing Learning Related Changes observed in functional MRI Data - A Survey. In N.C. Singh eds. Proceedings of the International Conference on Theoretical Neurobiology, New Delhi, India, pp. 221-229, 2003. {Best Poster Award}
Conference Proceedings (Peer-reviewed full length publications)
K.P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler, L. Gregorios-Pippas, W. Schultz, Money Illusion in the human brain, proceedings of the 31st annual meeting of the Cognitive science society, Amsterdam, pp: 1657-1662, 2009.
K. P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler, W. Schultz, R. Osterbauer, C. Schwarzbauer, Imaging Brain Regions with Susceptibility-induced Signal Losses using Gradient and Spin Echo Techniques, proceedings of the 31st annual meeting of the Cognitive science society, Amsterdam, pp: 218-223, 2009.
V. Singh, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi Detection of Cognitive States from fMRI Data Using Machine Learning Techniques. International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI), Hyderabad, India. pp: 587-592, 2007.
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, K. Doya. Chunking Patterns Reflect Effector-dependent Representation of Motor Sequence. In Proceedings The 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society ISBN 0-9768318-2-1, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, pp. 1835-1837, 2006.
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, V.S.C. Pammi, Ahmed, K. Doya. Hierarchical Chunking during Learning of Visuomotor Sequences. IEEE Proceedings of International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), Canada, pp. 249 – 253, 2006.
Ahmed, S. Bapi Raju, P.V.S. Chandrasekhar, M. Krishna Prasad. Application of Multilayer Perceptron Network for Tagging Parts-of-Speech. Proceedings of the Language Engineering Conference (LEC'02), IEEE Computer Society, pp. 57-63, 2002.
Conference Proceedings (Unpublished full length papers)
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, C. Bhagavati, T. Brahmaiah, Ch. Chandra Sekhar Rao. Investigation of Time Series Modelling to Explicate the Learning Related Activity Observed in fMRI Data. International Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, Hyderabad, India, pp. 667-672, 2004.
R.S. Bapi, K.P. Miyapuram, V.S.C. Pammi. A Multi-disciplinary Approach to the Investigation of Aspects of Serial Order in Cognition. Proceedings of the National Seminar on Cognitive Science, Hyderabad, 2002.
P.V.S. Chandrasekhar, M. Krishna Prasad, S. Bapi Raju. Statistical Parametric Mapping for Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Images - A Case Study. Proceedings of the National Conference on Recent Developments and Challenges in Physics, Hyderabad, India, 2002.
R.R. Mahajan, M. K. Prasad, S.V.S. Murty. Laser Microprobe for analysis of Noble gases and Nitrogen in a single grain. Proceedings of the 8th ISMAS symposium on Mass Spectrometry, Hyderabad, Dec.1999. {Best Paper Award}
Poster Presentations (Abstracts)
K.P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler,L. Gregorios-Pippas, W. Schultz.Illusion of monetary rewards in the human brain. Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar, 2007.
Also presented at Science for Public at Cambridge Science Week, 2007.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge poster competition, 2006, and
Autumn School in Cognitive Neuroscience, Oxford, 2005.
K.P. Miyapuram, P.N. Tobler,L. Gregorios-Pippas, W. Schultz.Mode of reward presentation elicits differential activations in orbitofrontal cortex.British Neuroscience Association, 2005.
K.P. Miyapuram, S. Bapi Raju, K. Samejima, K. Doya Neural bases of sequence learning and visuomotor mappings: an fMRI study, British Neuroscience Association, 2005.
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. Neural bases of sequence learning and visuo-motor mappings: an fMRI study. International Neuroscience Conference, Hyderabad, India, pp. 72-73, 2004.
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. Differential roles of areas of striatum in complex sequential skill learning. International Neuroscience Conference, Hyderabad, India, pp. 67-68, 2004.
V.S.C. Pammi, K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. . Acquisition of Complex Sequential Skills: Behavioral and fMRI Investigation, NBRC International Symposium, Manesar, India, 2003. {Best Poster Award}
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, F.X. Graydon, K. Doya. Time course of activation of visual and motor representations during visuomotor skill learning, Networks and Behavior, NCBS Neurobiology Symposium, Bangalore, India, 2003.
V.S.C. Pammi, R.S. Bapi, K.P. Miyapuram, K. Samejima, K. Doya. The activation of Orbitofrontal Cortex reflects Trial and Error processes in a Visuomotor Sequence Learning task. Networks and Behavior, NCBS Neurobiology Symposium, India, 2003.
K.P. Miyapuram, R.S. Bapi, V.S.C. Pammi, K. Samejima, K. Doya. fMRI Investigation of the Learning of Visuo-motor Sequences of increasing complexity. Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience, USA, 2001.
Affiliations
Fellow, Cambridge Commonwealth Society
Student Member, Society for Neuroscience, USA
Student Member, British Neuroscience Association, UK
Life in Cambridge
Passions
I am very much obsessed with Vedas and hope that during my life time I can contribute something towards dissemination of the ocean of knowledge.
