Welcome

Hi there!

I’m a cognitive neuroscientist, and my research examines both how and why different processes (e.g., memory, attention, development, context) impact learning and decision-making. I am particularly interested in how our brains and minds represent learned experiences to support adaptive behavior in an ever-changing world and how these representations evolve with time and new experiences.

In my work, I use computational models of reinforcement learning to simulate learning scenarios, analyze behavioral data, and generate hypotheses for experiments. I also use neural network models as a source of mechanistic insight when designing experiments.

I am also excited by applied research and policy at the intersection of AI and cognition, and I am currently a contracted researcher with Google DeepMind examining the cognitive risks and benefits of AI use.

Presently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at New York University with Cate Hartley investigatng the interaction of learning and memory systems during late childhood through young adulthood. I completed my Cognitive Science PhD at Brown University under the mentorship of Michael J. Frank, where I developed biologically-inspired RL models of risk and decision-making and tested model-derived hypotheses of human generalization and creative insight. I received my Bachelor’s in Computer Science and a minor in Cognitive Science from Princeton, during which time I completed an undergraduate thesis on the interaction of attention, memory, and learning systems with Yael Niv.

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Select Publications

Jaskir, A., Frank, M.J. (in preparation.). “Discovering analogous structure supports transfer in human reinforcement learning”.

Gallo, M., A.A. Hamid, A. Jaskir, T. Pan, D. Ofray, C. DeMaestri, J. Bretton, A.I. More, M.J. Frank, C.I. Moore, K.G. Bath. “Behavioral Opportunism and Altered Dopamine Dynamics in Mice Exposed to Early Life Adversity”. bioRxiv.

Jaskir, A. & M.J. Frank. 2022 “On the normative advantages of dopamine and striatal opponency for learning and choice.” eLife.

Media spotlights

“Carney’s Brainstorm Program Hosts Its Second Annual Brainstorm Challenge Awards”

“Five Brown Ph.D. students receive 2023-2024 Graduate Awards in Brain Science”

“Recent discoveries in computational neuroscience hold important implications for how humans learn and make decisions”