CV

Ned T. Sahin

Post-Doctoral Fellow   •   UCSD & Harvard

sahin [at] post.harvard.edu   •   www.NedSahin.com

Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience University of California, San Diego Department of Radiology, MC 0841 8950 Villa La Jolla Dr., C101 La Jolla, CA, USA 92093-0841

Departmental Associate in Psychology Harvard University, Psychology Cognition, Brain and Behavior William James Hall, room 964 Cambridge, MA, USA 02138

EDUCATION & TRAINING

THESES

Ph.D.
Neural Circuits for Reading, Inflecting & Producing Words: Spatiotemporal Mapping with Human Intracranial Electrophysiology & fMRI.
Harvard, Department of Psychology. Degree dissertation, PhD degree. June, 2007.
  (Won the dissertation prize, across all departments at Harvard for 2007: “The Richard J. Herrnstein Prize: to the best dissertation -
  that exhibits the excellent scholarship, originality and breadth of thought, and a commitment to intellectual independence…”)

M.S.
Seeking the Neural Basis of Grammar: English Noun and Verb Morphological Processing Investigated with Rapid Event-Related fMRI and Intra-Cortical Electrophysiology.
MIT, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Degree thesis, Masters of Science degree. June, 2003.

B.A.
Language and Brain: Effects of Arterial Occlusion on Human Brain Morphometry and Specific Language Abilities.
Williams College, Department of Biology. Honors thesis, Bachelor of Arts degree. June, 1998.

PAPERS

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S.S., Schomer, D., & Halgren, E., “Sequential Processing of Lexical, Grammatical, and Phonological Information within Broca’s Area.” Science, 326: 445-449 (2009). [more info & PDF]

Womelsdorf, T., Sahin, N.T., Miller, K., Tiesinga, P., “Microcircuit motifs underlying rhythmic gating, reverberation and long-range neuronal coordination.” (Nature Neuroscience – under review)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S.S., Doyle, W., & Halgren, E., “Large-Scale Neural Synchrony Stages to Distribute, Compute, and Reconstitute Components of a Cognitive Task.” (Unpublished manuscript – to be submitted)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Wang, C., Thesen, T., Cash, S.S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., & Halgren, E., “Dual-pass dynamics from early visual to high-order language circuits: evidence from intracranial electrophysiology (ICE).” (Unpublished manuscript – to be submitted)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Wang, C., Thesen, T., Cash, S.S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., & Halgren, E., “Functional connectivity in the brain’s language network: phase locking among Broca’s, Wernicke’s, Visual Word Form, and Early Visual areas during reading and grammatical processing.” (In Preparation)

Sahin, N.T., “Three distinct types of connectivity and networks in the brain.” (In Preparation)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S.S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., & Halgren, E., “Frequency multiplexing in frontal circuits during language processing.” (In Preparation)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., & Halgren, E. “Inflecting Nouns and Verbs May Be More Similar than Different: Convergent evidence from fMRI and Intracranial Electrophysiology (ICE).” (In preparation)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., & Halgren, E. “Abstract grammatical processing of nouns and verbs in Broca’s Area: Evidence from fMRI.” Cortex, 42(4): 540-562, 2006. [PDF]

Caviness, V.S., Makris, N., Montinaro, E., Sahin, N.T., Bates, J.F., Schwamm, L., Caplan, D., & Kennedy, D.N. “Anatomy of stroke, Part I: an MRI-based topographic and volumetric System of analysis.” Stroke, 33(11): 2549-56, 2002. [Based on undergraduate thesis work.]

Caviness, V.S., Makris, N., Montinaro, E., Sahin, N.T., Bates, J.F., Schwamm, L., Caplan, D., & Kennedy, D.N. “Anatomy of stroke, Part II: volumetric characteristics with implications for the local architecture of the cerebral perfusion system.” Stroke, 33(11): 2557-64, 2002. [Based on undergraduate thesis work.]

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS • ORAL

Sahin, N.T., “How Might a Large Brain Coordinate Large Tasks?” Oral presentation. Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) annual conference, 2011: Snowbird, Utah. [Invitational symposium on Large-Scale Brain Dynamics.]

Sahin, N.T. “From Cells to Psycholinguistics – It’s About Time!” Oral presentation. Human Brain Mapping annual conference, 2010: Barcelona, Spain. [Chair of Morning Symposium Session]

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Wang, C., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Coherent Activity in Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas in Delta and Theta Bands During Noun and Verb Inflection, As Revealed Through Human Intracranial EEG.” Oral presentation (no parallel sessions). 10^th International Conference on Cognitive and Neural Systems, 2006: Boston, MA. (Won competitive student fellowship.)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Wang, C., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Coherent Activity in Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas in Delta and Theta Bands During Noun and Verb Inflection, As Revealed Through Human Intracranial EEG.” Oral presentation (no parallel sessions). Architecture of Language Conference, 2006: Pisa, Italy.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Dale, A., Ulbert, I., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Human in-vivo Electrophysiology of Language Grammar – Bridging Computational, Systems and Cognitive Approaches.” Program number 32 (no parallel sessions). Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE), 2005: Salt Lake City, UT. (Invited by Nature Neuroscience editor-in-chief to write a paper for the journal (Research Article length), based on this talk.)

Sahin, N.T., Halgren, E., Schomer, D., Wu, J., Dale, A., and Pinker, S. “Convergent In-Vivo Electrophysiology and fMRI in Broca’s Area: Profiling Abstract Grammar Computation.” Program number 595.6. Society for Neuroscience, 2004: San Diego, CA.

Sahin, N.T., Halgren, E., Ulbert, I., Wang, C., Schomer, D., Wu, J., and Pinker, S., “Convergent Event-Related fMRI & Depth Electrophysiology in Broca’s Area During Noun and Verb Grammatical Processing.” Program number 770.2. Society for Neuroscience, 2003: New Orleans, LA. (Won competitive travel award from local Soc. for Neuroscience chapter.)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS • POSTERS

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Intra-cranial electrophysiology (ICE) of language: chronicling spatiotemporal stages and connectivity from visual input to motor output.” Poster number 113. Neurobiology of Language annual conference, 2010: Rancho Bernardo, CA.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Intra-cranial electrophysiology (ICE) of language: chronicling spatiotemporal stages and connectivity from visual input to motor output.” Society for Neuroscience, 2010: San Diego, CA.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Language-Related Cortex Shows Three Physiologically and Functionally Distinct Waves from Visual to Motor Areas.” Poster number 1591 M&T-AM. Human Brain Mapping, 2010: Barcelona, Spain.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Thesen, T., Cash, S., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Tracking Neuronal Activation and Information from Visual Input to Linguistic Output – Combined Intracranial Recordings and fMRI during Reading and Speaking.” Poster number 697 M-AM. Human Brain Mapping, 2008: Melbourne, Australia. (Abstract rated in the top 50 (of 2000) and invited to be featured in the highlights presentation at the closing ceremony of the conference.)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Neuronal Populations in Broca’s Area Process Grammar versus Articulation at Separate Times: Convergent Evidence from Human Intracranial Recordings and fMRI.” Poster number 698 M-PM. Human Brain Mapping, 2008: Melbourne, Australia.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Ulbert, I., Dehghani, N., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Depth Electrode Recordings in Broca’s Area Reveal 3-Stage Process for Grammatical Inflection.” Poster number 155 T-AM. [Citation: NeuroImage 36(S1): S63]. Human Brain Mapping, 2007: Chicago, IL. (Won competitive travel fellowship.)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Ulbert, I., Dehghani, N., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Multimodal and Multi-Scale: Convergent Human Single-Unit, LFP, and fMRI Characterization of Neuronal Activity in Cingulate/SMA During Language Production.” Poster number 154 T-PM. [Citation: NeuroImage 36(S1): S75]. Human Brain Mapping, 2007: Chicago, IL.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Meng, N., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Inflecting Nouns and Verbs May Be More Similar than Different: Evidence from fMRI and Intracranial Electrophysiology.” Poster number 156 T-PM. [Citation: NeuroImage 36(S1): S75]. Human Brain Mapping, 2007: Chicago, IL. (Abstract rated in the top 65 (of 2200) and invited to be featured in the highlights presentation at the closing ceremony of the conference.)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Cash, S., Thesen, T., Wang, C., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Communication Between Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas Detected with Intracranial Electrophysiology in Awake Humans.” Poster number 152 T-PM. [Citation: NeuroImage 36(S1): S74]. Human Brain Mapping, 2007: Chicago, IL.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., and Halgren, E. “Beware the Baseline: Right-Hemisphere Activation Restricted to the Baseline Condition of a Language Paradigm Challenges this Common Task and May Suggest a Default-Mode Pathway.” Poster number 153 T-AM. [Citation: NeuroImage 36(S1): S63]. Human Brain Mapping, 2007: Chicago, IL.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Wang, C., Devinsky, O., Kuzniecky, R., Doyle, W., and Halgren, E. “Intracranial Electrophysiology and the Wernicke-Geschwind Model.” Poster number M-260. [Citation: NeuroImage 31(S1): S56]. Human Brain Mapping, 2006: Florence, Italy.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Ulbert, I., Dehghani, N., Wang, C., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Single Unit Recordings in Human Anterior Cingulate During A Language Task.” Poster number 81. 30^th Annual Massachusetts General Hospital Research Symposium, 2006: Boston, MA.

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Ulbert, I., Dehghani, N., Wang, C., Papavassiliou, E., Schomer, D., and Halgren, E. “Single Unit Recordings in Human Anterior Cingulate During A Language Task.” Program number 771.4, poster number 0014. Society for Neuroscience, 2005: Washington, DC.

Sahin, N.T., Halgren, E., Schomer, D., Wu, J., Dale, A., and Pinker, S. “Human In-Vivo Electrophysiology and fMRI Evidence for Abstract Grammatical Processing in Broca’s Area.” Fourth Annual MIT-RIKEN Neuroscience Symposium – New Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2004: Cambridge, MA.

Sahin, N.T., Halgren, E., Ulbert, I., Dale, A., Schomer, D., Wu, J., and Pinker, S. “Abstract grammatical processing in Broca’s Area: Evidence from fMRI and Intra-cranial electrophysiology.” Program number MO 144. [Citation: NeuroImage 22(S1): e232-e234]. Human Brain Mapping, 2004: Budapest, Hungary. (Won competitive travel fellowship from conference sponsors.)

Sahin, N.T., Halgren, E., Dale, A., Busa, E., and Pinker, S., “Inflectional Morphology of Nouns and Verbs shows fMRI activation of Broca’s and Related Areas.” Program number 1354. [Citation: NeuroImage 19(2) Suppl. 1: e2684-e2688]. Human Brain Mapping, 2003: New York City. (Won competitive travel fellowship from conference sponsors.)

Sahin, N.T., Pinker, S., Greve, D., van der Kouwe, A., Dale, A., and Halgren, E., “Dissection of the Components of Inflectional Morphology Using Event-Related fMRI.” Program number 189. Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 2003: New York City.

Makris, N., Sahin, N.T., Bates, J.W., Patti, M.R., Meyer, J.W., Caplan, D.N., Caviness, V.S., Jr., and Kennedy, D.N., “MRI-based Volumetric Analysis of Anatomical Consequences of Stroke.” Human Brain Mapping, 2001: Brighton, United Kingdom.

Makris, N., Sahin, N.T., Bates, J.W., Patti, M.R., Meyer, J.W., Caplan, D.N., Caviness, V.S., Jr., and Kennedy, D.N., “MRI-based Volumetric Analysis of Subcortical Consequences of Stroke.” Society for Neuroscience, 2000: New Orleans, LA.

Sahin, N.T., Makris, N., Bates, J.F., Patti, M.R., Meyer, J.W., Kennedy, D.N., Caplan, D.N., and Caviness, V.S., Jr., “MRI-Based Topographic and Quantitative Mapping of Stroke” Poster number 692. [Citation: NeuroImage 7(4): S692]. Human Brain Mapping, 1998: Montreal, Canada.

AWARDS & HONORS

• (2010-2012)    Institute for Neural Computation – Cross-Departmental NIH Postdoctoral Training Grant. “Spatiotemporal dynamics of neural computation during natural speech“. Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience – Salk Institute and UC San Diego. $90,000 Stipend over 2 years (renewable).
• (2010)    Chair & Organizer of Symposium Session – Human Brain Mapping annual meeting (Barcelona, June 2010). “Human Intra-Cranial Electrophysiology (ICE) in Mind/Brain Mapping – Linking Levels of Analysis from Cells to Psychology“. Annual conference attendance ~2000. Symposium attendance ~500.
• (2007)    Harvard PhD Dissertation Prize. “The Richard J. Herrnstein Prize: to the best dissertation – that exhibits the excellent scholarship, originality and breadth of thought, and a commitment to intellectual independence that are in keeping with the terms of the prize and the memory of Professor Herrnstein“. Prize includes an award of $5,000.
• (2004-2007)    NRSA Institutional Training Grant, NIMH (T32 MH070328). “Graduate Training in Psychology and Neuroimaging.” Multi-center multidisciplinary grant linking Harvard Psychology Dept and the MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. $68,000 Partial Stipend + $72,000 Tuition coverage, over 4 years.
• (2004-2006)    Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. Phase II: $730,000 + $50,000 direct cost over 2 years (maximum awarded) “SENSORS: System for Evaluating Neurological Stress with Objective & Remote Sensors” Principle Investigator. A project for the Army to create a system to predict critical cognitive stress in soldiers.
• (2004)    Graduate Student Award. Mind/Brain/Behavior (MBB) interfaculty initiative at Harvard: $5,000 stipend (maximum awarded), for interdisciplinary study of the neural processing of abstract Grammar beyond language.
• (2004)    Fellowship. Dartmouth Summer Workshop in fMRI Informatics, fMRI Data Center. Six-day session.
• (2004)    Sackler Scholarship in Psychobiology. $5,000 stipend (maximum awarded) from the Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation. For advanced research in psychobiology with clinical relevance.
• (2003)    Small Business Innovation Research grant (SBIR A03-063). Phase I: $70,000 direct cost (maximum awarded) “SENSORS: System for Evaluating Neurological Stress with Objective & Remote Sensors.” Principle Investigator. Won on 1st try.
• (2003)    Elsie Hopestill Stimson grant for graduate research (Harvard). $3,500 stipend (maximum awarded). “In-vivo human multi-unit activity (MUA) electrophysiology and intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) to investigate tight neural coupling with dissociable processes in human Language processing.”
• (2003-2008)    Graduate Student Fellowship, Harvard Dept. of Psychology. $60,000 Stipend over 3 years, full Tuition for 5 years.
• (2003)    Walle Nauta Award for Continuing Dedication to Teaching. MIT.
• (2002-2004)    Student Representative to Faculty, Cognitive Neuroscience Group, MGH Martinos Center.
• (2001-2004)    Student and Post-Doc Representative to the Faculty, MGH Martinos Center. Attend faculty meetings.
• (2001)    Angus MacDonald Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. MIT.
• (2000-2003)    Graduate Student Fellowship, MIT Dept. of Brain & Cognitive Sciences. $60,000 Stipend (+ full Tuition) over 3 years.
• (1998)    Class of 1960 Scholar. Williams College, Neuroscience Department.
• (1996)    Class of 1960 Scholar. Williams College, Biology Department.

INVITED TALKS

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• (2004)    Harvard University. Head Teaching Fellow: “The Human Mind” (Prof. Steven Pinker)
  Managed 10 teaching fellows (20 sections). Managed all course logistics, policies, and teaching team. New course in Harvard’s undergraduate Core curriculum.
• (2003)    MIT. Teaching Assistant and Oral Presentation Coach. “Brain Laboratory Methods” (Prof. Jim DiCarlo)
  Won the Walle Nauta Award for Continuing Dedication to Teaching (based on student and faculty evaluations).
• (2002)    MIT. Teaching Assistant. “Introduction to Psychology” (Prof. Steven Pinker)
  Won the Angus MacDonald Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (based on student and faculty evaluations).
• (1997)    Williams College. Teaching Assistant. “Biology 102 – The Organism”
  Appointed “Class of 1960 Scholar” partly in recognition of teaching performance (101 + 102).
• (1996)    Williams College. Teaching Assistant. “Biology 101 – The Cell”

AD-HOC REVIEWING

• Brain
• Annals of Neurology
• NeuroImage
• Brain and Langauge
• Journal of Neurolinguistics
• Lingua

PROFESSIONAL COURSES

• (2005)    “Negotiation”. Harvard Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School. (13-week intensive course, 10 hrs/wk)
• (2004)    “Summer Workshop in fMRI Informatics” Dartmouth fMRI Data Center. (3-day course in 6-day session)
• (2003)    “Combining fMRI & EEG” Human Brain Mapping annual meeting. (1-day symposium)
• (2003)    “fMRI Course” Human Brain Mapping meeting. (1-day course)
• (2001)    “fMRI: Data Acquisition and Analysis” MIT: HST 583. (full-semester 12-unit graduate course)
• (2000)    “Visiting Fellows Program in fMRI” MGH Martinos Center. (5-day intensive course)

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

• (2002- )    Sigma Xi
• (2000-2005)    Science’s Next Wave, AAAS (MIT & MGH Campus Representative)
• (2000- )    Society for Neuroscience
• (2000- )    Cognitive Neuroscience Society
• (1998- )    Organization for Human Brain Mapping
• (1998- )    Renaissance Weekends
• (1998- )    Mensa
• (1997- )    Gargoyle Society (Williams College honor and service society)
• (1997- )    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

LABORATORY SKILLS

• Intra-cranial Electrophysiology (ICE) – expert in acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of direct in-vivo recordings from the living human brain. Includes single-cell recordings as well as multi-unit activity and local field potentials.
• fMRI – expert in experiment design, acquisition, analysis, data visualization, and interpretation.
• Other current methods: scalp EEG, MEG, and behavioral testing.
• Previous methods: small animal stereotaxic surgery & care, immunohistochemistry, MRI and light microscopy, HRP retrograde labeling, BrdU staining.

COMPUTING SKILLS

Skilled in packages and protocols for scientific data analysis, image processing, databasing, web, and remote computing.

• Technical Packages: MATLAB, FreeSurfer and FS-FAST (MGH), Neuroscan (Compumedics), MRIcro, DataView, Presentation (Neurobehavioral Systems), MRI embedded control software (GE & Siemens).
• Programming: MATLAB, Tcl, advanced SQL, Perl, JavaScript, HTML, WordPress, advanced Linux shell scripting (e.g., 1000-line scripts to support fMRI analysis software).
• Hardware: Build and maintain custom computers for lab and home. Expert in most networks and peripherals.
• OS/Shell experience: Linux, Windows, Unix, DOS, MacOS, OS/2, CP/M, VMS.
• Database: Mission-critical Oracle and Sybase systems: programmed, administered, and extensively queried; in corporate and research environment. MS Access expert. Implemented custom databases to combine linguistic corpora, generate experimental stimuli automatically, support ICE and fMRI data analysis, and manage and pay experimental subjects.
• Graphics/Productivity: Expert User of most standards, e.g. Illustrator, Photoshop; Acrobat; Dreamweaver; MS Office.

CORPORATE EMPLOYMENT

• (2002-2005)    TIAX, LLC. Senior Technologist. Specialist in medical imaging technologies. Principle Investigator (Phase I and II), SBIR project for Department of Defense (see above, in Awards). Cambridge, MA.
• (1999-2000)    Lucent Technologies. Project Manager and Technical On-Site Consultant. Member, Bell Labs Technical Staff. Managed 5-person project team on client site in Dublin. Member of project teams on site in Dublin and Madrid. Programmed large-scale mission-critical Oracle databases. London, UK.
• (1998-1999)    Kenan Systems. Software Project Consultant, Telecommunications Software. Programmed Oracle and Sybase databases to translate business needs of clients. Clients included major telecommunications companies. The software products were systems to manage billing and customer care. Trained in Unix, RDBMS database, C; and client-interface and managerial skills. Cambridge, MA.

CORPORATE BOARDS

• (2008- )    BodySure, Inc. Biomedical imaging startup.
• (2003- )    Fitness Forward. Non-profit aimed to promote healthy lifestyle and reduce childhood obesity. Science, Research, and Technology Translation Officer, Operating Advisory Board.

REFERENCES

• Steven Pinker, PhD (M.S. and Ph.D. advisor ) [www]
• Eric Halgren, PhD (Postdoctoral advisor ) [www]
• Sydney S. Cash, MD, PhD (Mentor & Collaborator ) [www]
• Verne S. Caviness, Jr., MD, D.Phil (B.A. thesis co-advisor ) [www]
• Marsel Mesulam, MD (Internship advisor ) [www]

PERSONAL

• Traveled in about 45 countries.
• Developed marketable software code for neuroimaging data analysis and visualization.
• Managed electronic technical support forum for MGH neuroimaging software users.
• Six patents pending. Two trademarks issued.
• VP of entrepreneurial organization & business-plan competition in San Diego.
• Rowed at international level (competed at Henley for my Oxford college); and at Williams, MIT, and Harvard.
• Active in alumni organization of Williams College; and Exeter College, Oxford.
• Devoted hobby photographer.
• Intermediate conversational French; basic Turkish; just starting to learn Mandarin.