Sebastian Seung
Encyclopedia
Sebastian Seung is a Korean American
multi-disciplinary expert whose research efforts have spanned the fields of neuroscience, physics and bioinformatics. He is a professor of Computational Neuroscience
in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a professor of Physics
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. He also is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
. He is the son of the renowned philosopher, T. K. Seung
.
Seung studied theoretical physics at Harvard University
where he obtained the Ph.D.
degree, and completed postdoctoral training at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. Before joining the MIT faculty, he was a member of the Theoretical Physics Department at Bell Laboratories. He has been a Sloan Research Fellow, a Packard Fellow, and a McKnight Scholar. He has published numerous scholarly papers.
His algorithms for nonnegative matrix factorization have been widely applied to problems in visual learning
, semantic analysis
, spectroscopy
, and bioinformatics
. He continues to study neural networks using mathematical models, computer algorithms, and circuits of biological neurons in vitro.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
multi-disciplinary expert whose research efforts have spanned the fields of neuroscience, physics and bioinformatics. He is a professor of Computational Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a professor of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He also is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
. He is the son of the renowned philosopher, T. K. Seung
T. K. Seung
T. K. Seung is a Korean American philosopher and literary critic. His academic interests cut across diverse philosophical and literary subjects, including ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of law, cultural hermeneutics, and ancient Chinese philosophy....
.
Seung studied theoretical physics at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he obtained the Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree, and completed postdoctoral training at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. Before joining the MIT faculty, he was a member of the Theoretical Physics Department at Bell Laboratories. He has been a Sloan Research Fellow, a Packard Fellow, and a McKnight Scholar. He has published numerous scholarly papers.
His algorithms for nonnegative matrix factorization have been widely applied to problems in visual learning
Visual learning
Visual learning is a teaching and learning style in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques...
, semantic analysis
Semantic analysis
Semantic analysis may refer to:*Semantic analysis *Semantic analysis *Semantic analysis *Semantic analysis *Semantic Analysis a 1960 book by philosopher Paul Ziff....
, spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
, and bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
. He continues to study neural networks using mathematical models, computer algorithms, and circuits of biological neurons in vitro.