Postdoctoral researcher in behavioural ecology. PhD in cognitive neuroscience. I'm also learning to engage in and promote a better science: open, inclusive, accessible; slow.

A pdf version of my CV can be found here: CV
(Last update: April 2024).

And here is my 1-page résumé.

Scientific Production

Publications

Under review

  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Raymond, M., Cuthill, I., Mendelson, T.C., Renoult, J.P. (in revision). Perceptual biases, camouflage patterns, and the origin of sexual signals. [Preprint].

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Zaneva, M., Coll-Martín, T., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Kalandadze, T., Kis, A., . . . Zisk, A. H. (accepted, eLife). Introduction to Neurodiversity: An Annotated Reading List. [Preprint]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Million, K.M., Renoult, J.P., Mendelson, T.C. (2024). Using neural style transfer to study the evolution of animal signal design: A case study in an ornamented fish. Ecological Informatics (doi). [Preprint]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Renoult, J.P., Mendelson, T.C. (2024). Comparative analysis reveals assortative mate preferences in darters independent of sympathy and sex. Ecology and Evolution (doi). [Preprint]
  • ManyPrimates et al. (including Héjja-Brichard, Y.) (2022). The evolution of primate short-term memory. Animal Behavior and Cognition (doi). [Preprint]
  • Guiomar, N., Krol, L.R., Combrisson, E., Dubarry, A.-S., Elliott, M.A., François, C., Héjja-Brichard, Y., … Chaumon, M. (2022). Good Scientific Practice in MEEG research: Progress and Perspectives. Neuroimage (doi). [Preprint]
  • Audurier, P., Héjja-Brichard, Y., De Castro, V., Kohler, P.J., Norcia, A.M., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2021). Symmetry processing in the macaque visual cortex. Cerebral Cortex. (doi). [Preprint] - [Press release]
  • De Castro, V., Smith, A.T., Beer, A.L., Leguen, C., Vayssière, N., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Audurier, P., Cottereau, B.R. & Durand, J.B. (2021). Connectivity of the cingulate sulcus visual area (CSv) in macaque monkeys. Cerebral Cortex (doi).
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Rima, S., Rapha, E., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2020). Stereomotion processing in the non-human primate brain. Cerebral Cortex. (doi). [Preprint & OSF project] - [Press release]
  • Rima, S., Cottereau, B.R., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Trotter, Y. & Durand, J.B. (2020). A new visuotopic cluster in macaque posterior parietal cortex revealed by wide-field retinotopy. Brain Structure and Function. (doi)
  • Chauhan, T., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Cottereau, B.R. (2020). Modelling binocular disparity processing from statistics in natural scenes. Vision Research, 176, 27-39. (doi)
  • Cottereau, B.R., Smith, A.T., Rima, S., Fize, D., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Renaud, L., … Durand, J.-B. (2017). Processing of Egomotion-Consistent Optic Flow in the Rhesus Macaque Cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 1-14 (doi).

PhD Thesis

  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. Spatial and temporal integration of binocular disparity in the primate brain. Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier, 2020. [pdf].

Oral presentations

Invited talks

  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2024) Neural style transfer and perceptual distance to test pattern preferences in fish. AI for ecology and evolution seminar, University of Montpellier, France.
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2023, June) Computational approaches to understanding the evolution of sexual signal design. Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2022, September). AI methods to study sexual selection. Imaginecology2: machine learning for image and sound processing and analysis in ecology, Villeurbanne, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2020, October). Rethinking our Narratives: The Challenge of “Slow Science”. LiveMEEG (online conference) [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. & Mercier M.R. (2018). Data visualisation in cognitive neuroscience: Functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology. Talk given for the Toulouse Data Vizualisation group, Toulouse, France [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. & Cottereau, B.R. (2017). Adaptation aux régularités spatiales de l’environnement au sein de systèmes de vision stéréoscopique. Journée des doctorants, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, France

Conference talks

  • Million, K., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Nasir M., Tucker, S., Mendelson, T.C. (2023).Territorial competition and mate choice in the rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum). Southeastern Fishes Council 2023 meeting, Chattanooga, TE, USA.
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Million, K., Renoult, J.P., Mendelson, T.C. (2023). Using generative artificial intelligence to test hypotheses about animal signal evolution in an ornamented fish. Evolution 2023 meeting, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
  • ManyFishes (incl. Héjja-Brichard, Y.) (2023) Using the detour task to assess inhibitory control across the fish taxon. 30th Annual International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne Beach, FL, USA.
  • Renoult, J.P. & Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2022) Using deep neural networks to study the evolution of visual signals. International Conference on Ecological Sciences, SFE2-GfÖ-EEF joint meeting, Metz, France.
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2021). Workshop on Research Culture based on the Café Culture Kit developped by the Wellcome Foundation. Conférence Science Ouverte Lente Durable, Nantes, France. [OSF folder with the French (beta) version of the Kit]
  • Audurier, P., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Kohler, P.J., Norcia, A.M., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2019). Processing of rotational symmetry in the non-human primate brain. GDR Vision annual forum, Marseille, France.

Lab talks

  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2023) Computational approaches to understanding the evolution of sexual signal design. Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC, Baltimore, MD, USA. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Raymond, M., Cuthill, I., Mendelson, T.C., Renoult, J.P. (2023). Visual Pattern Preferences. Mendelson Lab Meeting, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2022). Deep Learning et al. Architecture and applications. Mendelson Lab Meeting, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC, Baltimore, MD, USA. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2021). Investigating natural statistics and sexual signalling patterns with deep learning. Department of Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology meeting, CEFE, Montpellier, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2021). Moderator of a discussion on slow science and alternative research. WEPASCO, Fresco workshop (online)
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2021). Open Science practices in Eco/Evo. E3CO seminar, CEFE, Montpellier, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2021). Stereovision processing in primates: A neuroimaging and pychophysics investigation. E3CO seminar, CEFE, Montpellier, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2019). Democracy in the animal kingdom: Collaborative decision-making. CerCo Winter School, Pragnères, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2018). Stereovision in the animal kingdom: Which species, at what cost, and for which advantages? CerCo Lab Day, Muret, France [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2018). Sexism in research and at the university: Why should it matter? What can we do about it? CerCo Winter School, Piau-Engaly, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2016). Morality and Ethics: A (very) short review. CerCo Journal Club, Toulouse, France. [slides]

Poster presentations

  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Million, K.M., Moodie, I.M., Renoult, J.P., Mendelson, T.C. (2024, June). Sensory drive in the era of artificial intelligence: new tools for new experiments. Animal Behavior Society, London, ON, Canada. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Raymond, M., Cuthill, I.C., Mendelson, T.C., Renoult, J.P. (2023, Nov.). Visual pattern preferences: Testing the processing bias hypothesis with background-matching stimuli to shed light on signal design evolution. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Renoult, J.P., Mendelson, T.C. (2022, July). Strength of preference for conspecifics in Darters (genus Etheostoma): A within-lab meta-analysis. Animal Behavior Society, San José, Costa Rica (hybrid format: In-Person and Virtual). [Poster]
  • Audurier, P., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Kohler, P.J., Norcia, A.M., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2019, October). Processing of symmetry in the non-human primate brain. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, USA.
  • De Castro, V., LeGuen, C., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Audurier, P., Cottereau, B.R., Durand, J.-B. (2019, October). Functional and structural connectivity of the cingulate sulcus visual (CSv) area in macaque monkeys. Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, USA. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Bruzzone, S.E.P, Rapha, E., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2019, September). Natural statistics influence depth perception. Predictive brain conference, Marseille, France. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Rima, S., Rapha, E., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2018, November). Stereomotion processing in the non-human primate brain. Annual meeting of Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA. [Poster]
  • Rima, S., Cottereau, B.R., Héjja-Brichard, Y., Trotter, Y. & Durand, J.-B. (2017, November). Wide-field retinotopy reveals a new visuotopic cluster in IPS. Annual meeting of Society for Neuroscience, Washington, USA. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Rima, S., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2017, August). Stereomotion processing in the non-human primate brain. European Conference on Visual Perception, Berlin, Germany. [Poster]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y., Rima, S., Trotter, Y., Banks, M.S., Durand, J.-B., Cottereau, B.R. (2015, December). Adaptation to the 3D properties of the environment in non-human primates. GDR Vision annual forum, Grenoble, France. [Poster]

Open science workshop

  • Beffara, B., Beffara-Bret, A., Nalborczyk, L., Héjja-Brichard, Y., & Beffara-Bret, B. (2020, February). A practical introduction to the Open Science Framework. CRNL Workshop on Open Science, Lyon, France. [slides]
  • Héjja-Brichard, Y. (2018, March). Open Science: Why and How? CerCo’s Young Scientist Meeting, Toulouse, France [slides]
  • Beffara, B., Nalborczyk, L., Héjja-Brichard, Y., & Bret, A. (2017, November). Open, slow, and sustainable science. PhD student Day of the LPNC lab, Grenoble, France.

Professional Involvement

Membership

  • Association for Women in Science (2023)
  • Animal Behavior Society (2022 - present)
  • Comparative Cognition Society (2022 - present)
  • SORTEE, Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (2021 - present)
  • National Postdoctoral Association (2021 - present)
  • Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (2020 - present)
  • Center for Open Science, Ambassador (2018 – Present)

Attended Workshop & Summer schools

  • 2022 (August): Brains, Minds, & Machines (Woods Hole, MA), an intensive three-week course on the problem of intelligence: how the brain produces intelligent behavior and how we may be able to replicate intelligence in machines. Personal project on multi-agent reinforcement learning. [Course description]
  • 2021 (August): Neuromatch Academy: Deep Learning, an intensive three-week summer school comprising tutorials and group projects organised by Neuromatch (online). [Syllabus]. Group project: “Assessing the robustness against word permutations of CNNs and LSTMs in semantic similarity learning”.
  • 2020 (June): 2020 Lincoln Animal Cognition Conference, organised by the Doctoral School of the University of Lincoln, UK (online).
  • 2018 (November): 2018 Primate Welfare Meeting, organised by the NC3Rs in London, UK.
  • 2018 (May): The 6th Toulouse Economics and Biology Workshop, on the theme ‘Evolution, Cognition, and Rationality’ organised by the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France.
  • 2017 (March): Statistics workshop on advanced statistical methods using R software taught by Martijn Wieling (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) organised at the CerCo Lab
  • 2016 (November): Statistics workshop: “Building Confidence Intervals with R” taught by Jean-Michel Hupé (CerCo, CNRS Toulouse, France) (pdf)
  • 2016 (April): Ethics in research “Aspects éthiques de la recherche en biologie et enjeux de société” organised by a doctoral school (BSB-Biologie, Santé, Biotechnologie), Toulouse, France.
  • 2015 (November): Statistics workshop: “ Statistical methods for Signal Detection Models in Psychophysics” taught by Kenneth Knoblauch (Inserm, Lyon) and “Mixed models (GLMM) for vision data” taught by Rafaël Laboissière (LPNC, Grenoble)

Lab Community Involvement

  • Organisation of the first edition of the Lab Student Day (2019) and the Lab Winter School (2017, 2018)
  • Co-creation of a Welcome Kit for new students and postdocs (2019)
  • Student representative at the Lab Council (2017-2018)
  • Co-organisation of a conference to promote open, slow, and sustainable scientific practices for the French speaking community: SOLD21 (July 2021)
  • Ambassador for the Center for Open Science: COS (2018-present)

Popularisation of science

  • Coordination of a thematic issue on Altruism in the animal kingdom for the new magazine “Perspectives” (Spring 2022).
  • Moderator of a discussion on slow science and research outside academia (March 2021), WEPASCO, Fresco (online)
  • Public presentation on visual illusions (March 2019) for the Brain Awareness Week at Quai des Savoirs, a cultural centre in Toulouse: “Les illusions visuelles, une illusion du cerveau?” [slides]
  • Public presentation on the study of 3D vision in animals (February 2017) “En tête à tête avec un jeune chercheur”, Museum de Toulouse: “La vision 3D : mieux qu’au cinéma !”

  • Article (March 2017, in French) about the evolution of 3D vision in animals, written for Muséum Toulouse (Museum of Natural sciences): Yseult Héjja-Brichard & Benoit R. Cottereau “Evolution et vision : le vivant a de la profondeur !” (here)

  • Member of InCOGnu, an organisation of students and young researchers in cognitive science in the Toulouse area, France. We organise monthly conferences, workshops for the general audience (adults and children) and take part in various events of science popularisation (Pint of Science, Brain Awareness Week, National Forum of cognitive science, Scientilivre). We also give talks about multiple topics in the field of cognitive sciences.

  • Member of FRESCO, a French organisation, uniting at the national level all the regional organisations involved in popularising cognitive science. The FRESCO also has projects on its own. There, I am part of the Perspectives team that aims to create a new magazine to share scientific content in the field of cognitive sciences with different audiences.