Our work focuses on how the brain decides which action to perform at each moment in time – that is, action selection. We are interested in the cortical and subcortical circuits that mediate this process, and how they go awry in neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, we perform measurements of large-populations of neural activity in freely behaving mice using imaging and physiology, and distill their behavior in real-time using 3D cameras and probabilistic approaches to machine learning. Additionally, we are pursuing new methods to control activity in these circuits using precision closed-loop deep brain stimulation.

Education

Masters of Science, Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022

Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020

Research Expertise

Robot Planning and Control, Embodied Artificial Intelligence, Laboratory Automation, Software Engineering

Selected Publications

Bowles-Welch, A., Byrnes, W., Kanwar, B., Wang, B., Joffe, B., Casteleiro Costa, P., Armenta, M., Xu, J., Damen, N., Zhang, C., Mazumdar, A., Robles, F., Yeago, C., Roy, K., Balakirsky, S. (2021). Artificial Intelligence Enabled Biomanufacturing of Cell Therapies. Georgia Tech Research Institute Internal Research and Development (IRAD) Journal

Byrnes, W., Ahlin, K., Rains, G., & McMurray, G. (2019). Methodology for Stress Identification in Crop Fields Using 4D Height Data. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(30), 336–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.12.562

Byrnes, W., Kanwar, B., Damen, N., Wang, B., Bowles-Welch, A. C., Roy, K., & Balakirsky, S. (2023). Process Development and Manufacturing: A NEEDLE-BASED AUTOSAMPLER FOR BIOREACTOR CELL MEDIA COLLECTION. Cytotherapy, 25(6), S172.

Wang, B., Kanwar, B., Byrnes, W., Costa, P. C., Filan, C., Bowles-Welch, A. C., ... & Roy, K. (2023). Process Development and Manufacturing: DIGITAL TWIN-ENABLED FEEDBACK-CONTROLLED AUTOMATION WITH INTEGRATED PROCESS ANALYTICS FOR BIOMANUFACTURING OF CELL THERAPIES. Cytotherapy, 25(6), S206-S207.

Professional Activities

STEM@GTRI Program Mentor

IEEE Member

Vince Calhoun, Ph.D., is the founding director of the tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) where he holds appointments at Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Emory. He is the author of more than 900 full journal articles. His work includes the development of flexible methods to analyze neuroimaging data including blind source separation, deep learning, multimodal fusion and genomics, neuroinformatics tools. Calhoun is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, The American Institute of Biomedical and Medical Engineers, The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) and the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. He currently serves on the IEEE BISP Technical Committee and is also a member of IEEE Data Science Initiative Steering Committee as well as the IEEE Brain Technical Committee.

Ahmet Coskun is a systems biotechnologist and bioengineer, working at the nexus of multiplex imaging and quantitative cell biology.

Single Cell Biotechnology Lab is strategically positioned for imaging one cell at a time for spatial context. We are multi-disciplinary researchers interested in photons, ions, and electrons and their interactions with cells and tissues.  Using large-scale experiments and computational analysis, we address fundamental challenges in cancers, immunology, and pediatric diseases. Variability of single cell profiles can be used to understand differences in therapeutic response, as well as satisfy our curiosity on understanding how cells are spatially organized in nature.

Our lab aims to deliver biotechnologies for spatial multi-omics profiling vision at the single cell level.

1) Spatial genomics: Our lab was part of an early efforts to demonstrate spatially resolved RNA profiling in single cells using a sequential FISH method. We will continue leveraging seqFISH and correlation FISH (another computational RNA imaging method) for exploring spatial dynamics of cellular societies.

2) Spatial proteomics: Our lab develops expertise on antibody-oligonucleotide based barcoding for multiplex protein imaging using CODEX technology. We combine CODEX with super-resolution and 3D imaging to visualize and quantify subcellular epigenetic states of immune and cancer cells.

3) Spatial metabolomics: Our lab works on computational and isotope barcoding approaches for small molecule profiling using MIBI (Multiplexed ion beam imaging). 3D and subcellular metabolic state of individual cells are used to model functional modes of cellular decision making in health and disease.

We also develop machine learning and deep learning algorithms to make sense of imaging based single cell big data.

In a nutshell, we create image-based ‘omic technologies to reveal spatial nature of biological systems. We benefit from enabler tools:  Super-resolution bioimaging, barcoded biochemical reagents, advanced algorithms and automated microfludics. Topical interests include Spatial Biology, Liquid Biopsy, and Global Oncology.

Ahmet Coskun trained at Stanford (Postdoc/Instructor with Garry Nolan), Caltech (Postdoc with Long Cai) and UCLA (PhD with Aydogan Ozcan). His lab is currently funded by NIH K25, BWF CASI, Georgia Tech & Emory.

Streelman grew up in Chestertown Md, where he developed a keen interest in the outdoors. He graduated with a BS in Biology from Bucknell University. While there, he attended a semester (plus one cold winter-mester) at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole Massachusetts — where a chance encounter with Les Kaufman, Karel Liem, a few jars of pickled fish and a dental X-ray technician led to his lifelong love of cichlids. Streelman won the Pangburn Scholar-Athlete award (lacrosse) at BU. As a PhD student with Stephen Karl, Streelman developed approaches to identify, clone and sequence multiple, independent single-copy nuclear loci to reconstruct accurate phylogenies for cichlid fishes and their relatives. These phylogenies changed perspective about how these species groups evolved, and allowed new and improved inference about the evolutionary history of key ecological traits. Multi-locus phylogenies are now the standard in the field. 

As a postdoc in Tom Kocher’s lab and then a young investigator at Georgia Tech, Streelman worked on the first unbiased quantitative genetic (QTL) studies in Malawi cichlids, some of the first such studies in evolutionary systems. In particular, work showed that adaptive features of the cichlid jaw and the striking orange-blotch color polymorphism had a simple genetic basis.  

Streelman was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Faculty Research Fellow and a NSF CAREER Awardee.  

Over the past two decades as an independent investigator, with support from the NSF, NIH and the Human Frontier Science Program, Streelman’s group has pioneered genomic and molecular biology approaches in the Malawi cichlid system to solve problems difficult to address in traditional model organisms. Major projects include (i) tooth and taste bud patterning and regeneration; (ii) the underpinnings of complex behavior; and (iii) developmental diversification of the face and brain.  

Generally, we are captivated by context-dependent traits like development and behavior because they must be executed in space and time with exquisite control. We analyze and manipulate genomes and development in multiple species of Malawi cichlids, spanning divergence in embryonic/adult traits and behavior – and collaborate with folks studying these same traits in zebrafish, mouse and human. In 2014, Streelman helped to coordinate a large effort to sequence the genomes of five East African cichlids, including one from Lake Malawi. This was a landmark for our research community and has recast attention to genome-wide approaches. We are motivated by the prospect to dissect evolutionary change with genetic and cellular precision.  

In his free time, Streelman likes mountaineering, skipping rocks and pickling.

Shu Takayama earned his BS and MS in Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Tokyo. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California studying bio-organic synthesis with Dr. Chi‐Huey Wong. He then worked as a postdoc with Dr. George Whitesides at Harvard University where he focused on applying microfluidics to studying cell and molecular biology.

Takayama began his career at the University of Michigan, where led his lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering for over 17 years. In 2017, the lab moved to Georgia Tech where Shu became the Georgia Research Alliance Price Gilbert Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Takayama’s research interests are diverse and motivated by clinical and biotechnology needs. He is always interested in hearing from stakeholders in these areas who are seeking engineering collaboration.

Dr. Chang is the director of the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory. His research program focuses on trying to understand how animals move through and interact with their environment.