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Sydney E. Smith

Ph.D. Candidate in Computational Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego
As a Neuroscience PhD candidate at UC San Diego, I specialize in neural signal analysis. Our brains produce many different kinds of signals--chemical, magnetic, electrical--and the ways that neuroscientists use these signals is essential to how we research the brain. I'm specifically interested in the brain's electrical signals, or "brain waves" that we can measure using tools like the electroencephalogram (EEG). When these electrical signals are measured in research experiments, neuroscientists use complex mathematical methods to extract information from their brain waves. This is where my research comes in: how does the math we use influence how we think about the brain? What happens when we're using that math incorrectly or misinterpreting it?

These are the questions I face every day in my research. So far, I've been able to answer some pretty big questions about brain waves and how they change in patients receiving treatment for severe depression. By challenging our assumptions about brain waves, I hope to help settle long-standing mysteries about the brain and uncover new, exciting discoveries that help us better understand how the brain works in healthy cognition and disease.

Currently, I'm a PhD candidate in the Neurosciences Graduate Program, supervised by Dr. Bradley Voytek in the Neural and Data Analytics Lab at the University of California, San Diego. I have a B.S. in Biopsychology from UC Santa Barbara and also volunteer as a writer for Stories of Women in Neuroscience, a blog and podcast that features women neuroscientists, their research, and journeys in academia.

How electroconvulsive therapy heals the brain − new insights into ECT, a stigmatized yet highly effective treatment for depression

Dec 07, 2023 08:01 am UTC| Health

When most people hear about electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, it typically conjures terrifying images of cruel, outdated and pseudo-medical procedures. Formerly known as electroshock therapy, this perception of ECT as...

Economy

Swiss National Bank Warns of Slower Growth Amid Rising Global Risks

Swiss National Bank (SNB) Chairman Martin Schlegel warned on Friday that rising global economic risks, fueled by U.S. tariffs and trade uncertainty, will likely slow Switzerlands economic growth. Speaking at the SNBs...

Dollar Rises Amid Trade Deal Uncertainty, Yen and Franc Strengthen

The U.S. dollar edged higher Friday, rebounding from earlier losses as markets reacted to mixed signals from President Donald Trump on trade talks and monetary policy. The greenback has swung sharply this week, falling 1%...

Asian Tech Stocks Climb on Alphabet Earnings and AI Optimism

Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Friday, driven by a rally in tech shares after Alphabets strong earnings and bullish AI outlook. The U.S. tech giant beat earnings expectations and reaffirmed its commitment to...

Oil Prices Inch Up but Face Weekly Loss on OPEC+, Geopolitical Developments

Oil prices edged higher early Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline amid rising supply prospects and mixed signals on global demand. Brent crude futures rose 5 cents to $66.60 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas...

AI Stock Rally Lifts Futures as Alphabet Leads Tech Surge

U.S. stock index futures rose Thursday evening, driven by strong earnings from Alphabet Inc. and renewed investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) and tech stocks. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) jumped nearly 5% in...

Politics

NATO Chief Rutte Urges 'Quantum Leap' in Defense Spending by Europe, Canada

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is urging European allies and Canada to significantly accelerate their defense spending in 2025, calling for a quantum leap in contributions to the alliance. In an annual report released...

U.S. Eyes Tariff Deal with Switzerland in Exclusive Trade Talks

The United States is seeking a tariff resolution with Switzerland, according to Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, following her meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. In an interview with...

Japan Unveils Emergency Economic Plan to Offset U.S. Tariff Impact

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Friday a new emergency economic package aimed at cushioning households and industries from the effects of recent U.S. import tariffs. The relief plan, outlined in a...

Moon Jae-in Criticizes Prosecutors Amid Bribery Indictment

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in accused the countrys prosecutors of political bias and abuse of power following his recent indictment on bribery charges. Speaking on Friday during a meeting with National Assembly...

Pentagon Removes Advisory Members Amid Strategic Shift

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed several members of Department of Defense advisory committees following a comprehensive 45-day internal review, according to a statement released Thursday by Pentagon...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Apple Plans to Shift All U.S. iPhone Production to India Amid China Trade Tensions

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly planning to shift all iPhone assembly for the U.S. market to India as early as next year, in a strategic move to reduce reliance on China amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions,...

Chinese AI Startup Behind Manus Raises $75M, Targets Global Expansion

Chinese AI startup Butterfly Effect, the creator of Manus AI, has raised $75 million in a funding round led by U.S.-based venture capital firm Benchmark, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the...

Intel Sees Surge in Older Chip Demand Amid U.S.-China Trade War Fears

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is experiencing a rise in demand for its older-generation PC and server chips as the U.S.-China trade war intensifies, executives revealed after the companys latest earnings release. Economic...

Baidu Launches Advanced Ernie AI Models to Compete in China’s Growing AI Race

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) has launched upgraded versions of its Ernie artificial intelligence models, intensifying its push in Chinas fast-evolving AI landscape. At a developer conference held in Wuhan, CEO Robin Li introduced...

South Korea Flags DeepSeek for Unauthorized Data Transfers to China and U.S.

South Koreas Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of transferring personal user data and prompt content without consent during its app launch in January 2025. The PIPC...