Portrait of a smiling woman with short dark hair, wearing a blue denim-textured top and small earrings.

Kanaka Rajan, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School
Rajan Lab

Kanaka Rajan, PhD – People Feature

Associate Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.

If you prefer, you can view the visual layout directly on Canva by Neuro Coordinator.

Contact

Email: kanaka_rajan@hms.harvard.edu

Rajan Lab website: www.rajanlab.com

The Aim

The Rajan Lab studies how the brain performs essential functions by using neuroscience data to build advanced AI models.

The Impact

Combining biological data with AI tools brings us closer to understanding how different brain regions communicate. For example, researchers now have a better grasp on what makes multitasking possible and how we learn from just a few experiences. These insights into essential functions could lead to new treatments for disorders affecting memory and learning.

A Closer Look

The Transmitter — March 2025: How neuroscience comics add KA-POW! to the field: Q&A with Kanaka Rajan

This feature shares Kanaka Rajan’s personal and professional insights into how collaborating with artists on comics has helped her convey complex concepts without diluting the science. This approach has allowed her research to reach a larger audience and inspired other researchers to use similar methods.

Harvard Gazette — February 2025: What electric fish can teach scientists about NeuroAI

This feature on Dr. Rajan’s research explores how observing and gathering data on weakly electric fish can help scientists understand group behavior and coordinated communication. Modeling the behavior of these fish may also contribute to the development of new artificial intelligence systems.

Publications View
Network models to enhance the translational impact of cross-species studies.
Authors: Authors: Brynildsen JK, Rajan K, Henderson MX, Bassett DS.
Nat Rev Neurosci
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Aversive experience drives offline ensemble reactivation to link memories across days.
Authors: Authors: Zaki Y, Pennington ZT, Morales-Rodriguez D, Francisco TR, LaBanca AR, Dong Z, Lamsifer S, Segura SC, Chen HT, Christenson Wick Z, Silva AJ, van der Meer M, Shuman T, Fenton A, Rajan K, Cai DJ.
bioRxiv
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Temporally specific patterns of neural activity in interconnected corticolimbic structures during reward anticipation.
Authors: Authors: Young ME, Spencer-Salmon C, Mosher C, Tamang S, Rajan K, Rudebeck PH.
Neuron
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Amplified cortical neural responses as animals learn to use novel activity patterns.
Authors: Authors: Akitake B, Douglas HM, LaFosse PK, Beiran M, Deveau CE, O'Rawe J, Li AJ, Ryan LN, Duffy SP, Zhou Z, Deng Y, Rajan K, Histed MH.
Curr Biol
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Linking task structure and neural network dynamics.
Authors: Authors: Márton CD, Zhou S, Rajan K.
Nat Neurosci
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Minian, an open-source miniscope analysis pipeline.
Authors: Authors: Dong Z, Mau W, Feng Y, Pennington ZT, Chen L, Zaki Y, Rajan K, Shuman T, Aharoni D, Cai DJ.
Elife
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The Learning Salon: Toward a new participatory science.
Authors: Authors: Momennejad I, Krakauer JW, Sun C, Yezerets E, Rajan K, Vogelstein JT, Wyble B.
Neuron
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Deep anomaly detection of seizures with paired stereoelectroencephalography and video recordings.
Authors: Authors: Martini ML, Valliani AA, Sun C, Costa AB, Zhao S, Panov F, Ghatan S, Rajan K, Oermann EK.
Sci Rep
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Rethinking brain-wide interactions through multi-region 'network of networks' models.
Authors: Authors: Perich MG, Rajan K.
Curr Opin Neurobiol
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Machine Learning With Feature Domains Elucidates Candidate Drivers of Hospital Readmission Following Spine Surgery in a Large Single-Center Patient Cohort.
Authors: Authors: Martini ML, Neifert SN, Oermann EK, Gal J, Rajan K, Nistal DA, Caridi JM.
Neurosurgery
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