While at Redwood, Ankit worked on understanding sensorimotor brain dynamics from the perspective of control theory and connectomics using approaches borrowed from statistical physics. On the control theory side, he developed a novel machine learning approach to identify brain dynamics amenable to feedback control, and developed a theory of how Dale’s law plays a key role in shaping these feedback controllable dynamics. These techniques and insights, when applied to recordings from diverse brain areas, indicate that task relevant dynamics across the brain are feedback controllable. On the connectomic side, Ankit developed a maximum entropy generative model of the Drosophila connectome, revealing the presence of an emergent sensorimotor-cognitive hierarchy.

Ankit has transitioned to an industry position at Echo Neurotechnologies, a San Francisco based startup working on developing brain computer interfaces.