Jean-Paul Noel, PhD

Research Summary

The Noel Lab studies perception and decision-making using cognitive (EEG, virtual reality), systems (Neuropixels, optogenetics), and computational neuroscience (biologically plausible neural networks and Bayesian normative models) approaches, working across humans and rodents. Core research areas include visual, auditory, and tactile perception, multisensory integration, cognitive flexibility, expectation updating, naturalistic and ecological neuroscience, embodied cognition, consciousness, spatial navigation and planning, and computational psychiatry in Autism, Schizophrenia, and Psychosis.

A central focus of the lab is understanding how the brain infers hidden causes from sensory observations, a process often described as causal inference. Perception requires forming hypotheses about the latent structure of the world that gives rise to incoming signals; the lab investigates both the normative principles underlying this process and how it breaks down in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, with particular emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorders. This research has direct relevance for next-generation generative artificial intelligence, where similar inferential challenges arise.

The lab adopts an integrative, cross-species strategy that combines human cognitive neuroscience (EEG, psychophysics, VR/AR), rodent systems neuroscience (large-scale electrophysiology, optogenetics), and computational modeling (Bayesian inference, artificial neural networks). The lab welcomes inquiries from motivated individuals interested in training at the intersection of these domains and possessing strong technical skills. For more information, visit www.noel-lab.org.

Publications:

• Noel JP, Balzani E, Acerbi L, Benson J; International Brain Laboratory; Savin C, Angelaki DE. A common computational and neural anomaly across mouse models of autism. Nat Neurosci. 2025 Jul;28(7):1519-1532. doi: 10.1038/s41593-025-01965-8. Epub 2025 Jun 3. PMID: 40461847; PMCID: PMC12403184.
• Noel JP, Bockbrader M, Bertoni T, Colachis S, Solca M, Orepic P, Ganzer PD, Haggard P, Rezai A, Blanke O, Serino A. Neuronal responses in the human primary motor cortex coincide with the subjective onset of movement intention in brain-machine interface-mediated actions. PLoS Biol. 2025 Apr 17;23(4):e3003118. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003118. PMID: 40244939; PMCID: PMC12005534.
• Bertoni T, Noel JP, Bockbrader M, Foglia C, Colachis S, Orset B, Evans N, Herbelin B, Rezai A, Panzeri S, Becchio C, Blanke O, Serino A. Pre-movement sensorimotor oscillations shape the sense of agency by gating cortical connectivity. Nat Commun. 2025 Apr 16;16(1):3594. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-58683-9. PMID: 40234393; PMCID: PMC12000325.
• Noel JP, Balzani E, Savin C, Angelaki DE. Context-invariant beliefs are supported by dynamic reconfiguration of single unit functional connectivity in prefrontal cortex of male macaques. Nat Commun. 2024 Jul 9;15(1):5738. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50203-5. PMID: 38982106; PMCID: PMC11233555.
• Noel JP, Angelaki DE. A theory of autism bridging across levels of description. Trends Cogn Sci. 2023 Jul;27(7):631-641. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.010. Epub 2023 May 13. PMID: 37183143; PMCID: PMC10330321.
• Noel JP, Balzani E, Avila E, Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Bruni S, Alefantis P, Savin C, Angelaki DE. Coding of latent variables in sensory, parietal, and frontal cortices during closed-loop virtual navigation. Elife. 2022 Oct 25;11:e80280. doi: 10.7554/eLife.80280. PMID: 36282071; PMCID: PMC9668339.
• Noel JP, Shivkumar S, Dokka K, Haefner RM, Angelaki DE. Aberrant causal inference and presence of a compensatory mechanism in autism spectrum disorder. Elife. 2022 May 17;11:e71866. doi: 10.7554/eLife.71866. PMID: 35579424; PMCID: PMC9170250.
• Noel JP, Angelaki DE. Cognitive, Systems, and Computational Neurosciences of the Self in Motion. Annu Rev Psychol. 2022 Jan 4;73:103-129. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-021021-103038. Epub 2021 Sep 21. PMID: 34546803; PMCID: PMC8897977.
• Noel JP, Zhang LQ, Stocker AA, Angelaki DE. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder have altered visual encoding capacity. PLoS Biol. 2021 May 12;19(5):e3001215. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001215. PMID: 33979326; PMCID: PMC8143398.
• Ronga I, Galigani M, Bruno V, Noel JP, Gazzin A, Perathoner C, Serino A, Garbarini F. Spatial tuning of electrophysiological responses to multisensory stimuli reveals a primitive coding of the body boundaries in newborns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 23;118(12):e2024548118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2024548118. PMID: 33798099; PMCID: PMC8000027.
• Noel JP, Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Park H, Angelaki DE. Increased variability but intact integration during visual navigation in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 May 19;117(20):11158-11166. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2000216117. Epub 2020 May 1. PMID: 32358192; PMCID: PMC7245105.
• International Brain Laboratory; Angelaki D, Benson B, Benson J, Birman D, Bonacchi N, Bougrova K, Bruijns SA, Carandini M, Catarino JA, Chapuis GA, Churchland AK, Dan Y, Davatolhagh F, Dayan P, DeWitt EE, Engel TA, Fabbri M, Faulkner M, Fiete IR, Findling C, Freitas-Silva L, Gerçek B, Harris KD, Häusser M, Hofer SB, Hu F, Hubert F, Huntenburg JM, Khanal A, Krasniak CS, Langdon C, Langfield C, Lau PYP, Mainen ZF, Meijer GT, Miska NJ, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Noel JP, Nylund K, Pan-Vazquez A, Paninski L, Pouget A, Rossant C, Roth N, Schaeffer R, Schartner M, Shi Y, Socha KZ, Steinmetz NA, Svoboda K, Urai AE, Wells MJ, West SJ, Whiteway MR, Winter O, Witten IB. A brain-wide map of neural activity during complex behaviour. Nature. 2025 Sep;645(8079):177-191. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09235-0. Epub 2025 Sep 3. PMID: 40903598; PMCID: PMC12408349.
• Findling C, Hubert F; International Brain Laboratory; Acerbi L, Benson B, Benson J, Birman D, Bonacchi N, Buchanan EK, Bruijns S, Carandini M, Catarino JA, Chapuis GA, Churchland AK, Dan Y, Davatolhagh F, DeWitt EEJ, Engel TA, Fabbri M, Faulkner MA, Fiete IR, Freitas-Silva L, Gerçek B, Harris KD, Häusser M, Hofer SB, Hu F, Huntenburg JM, Khanal A, Krasniak C, Langdon C, Langfield CA, Latham PE, Lau PYP, Mainen Z, Meijer GT, Miska NJ, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Noel JP, Nylund K, Pan-Vazquez A, Paninski L, Pillow J, Rossant C, Roth N, Schaeffer R, Schartner M, Shi Y, Socha KZ, Steinmetz NA, Svoboda K, Tessereau C, Urai AE, Wells MJ, West SJ, Whiteway MR, Winter O, Witten IB, Zador A, Zhang Y, Dayan P, Pouget A. Brain-wide representations of prior information in mouse decision-making. Nature. 2025 Sep;645(8079):192-200. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09226-1. Epub 2025 Sep 3. PMID: 40903597; PMCID: PMC12408363.
• Biderman D, Whiteway MR, Hurwitz C, Greenspan N, Lee RS, Vishnubhotla A, Warren R, Pedraja F, Noone D, Schartner MM, Huntenburg JM, Khanal A, Meijer GT, Noel JP, Pan-Vazquez A, Socha KZ, Urai AE; International Brain Laboratory; Cunningham JP, Sawtell NB, Paninski L. Lightning Pose: improved animal pose estimation via semi-supervised learning, Bayesian ensembling and cloud-native open-source tools. Nat Methods. 2024 Jul;21(7):1316-1328. doi: 10.1038/s41592-024-02319-1. Epub 2024 Jun 25. PMID: 38918605; PMCID: PMC12087009.