Nitya Ann Eapen

Background

About Nitya Ann Eapen

I am a dynamic neuropsychologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a robust academic foundation (BA in Journalism, Psychology & English; MSc in Neuropsychology) and extensive research experience, currently thriving as an AI Tutor at xAI. My expertise in cognitive neuroscience, honed through rigorous training and hands-on research, is complemented by strong leadership and analytical skills. As a Research Intern at the Neurodynamics Lab, Indian Institute of Science, I spearheaded a computational model to explore event boundaries’ impact on temporal order memory, aiming to uncover novel insights into memory processes using Python. My research portfolio spans neuroimaging and computational neuroscience, including on-site participation in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Skills Training in Cambridge (COGNESTIC) at the MRC Cognition and Brain Science Unit, University of Cambridge, where I gained expertise in fMRI, EEG/MEG, and MVPA/RSA techniques. I was selected for the IBRO Spring School on Computational Neuroscience and AI at IIT Delhi, engaging with neural oscillations and machine learning for brain mapping. I also received (but declined) an offer to be a visiting student in Cognitive Science at IIT Gandhinagar, underscoring my competitive standing. Projects like investigating BOLD activations in emotion processing tasks at Neuromatch Academy highlight my ability to translate complex data into impactful findings, a skill I apply to refine AI systems at xAI. Leadership defines my professional identity. As a Project Associate at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), I led nationwide data collection to identify gifted children, refined program parameters, and contributed to a forthcoming book on giftedness. I mentored global neuroscientists through Simply Neuroscience’s Action Potential Advising Program and facilitated peer-support environments as a Moderator at Supportiv. Early roles as a Play Facilitator at Headstreams, designing activities for children with traumatic backgrounds, and teaching English and Mathematics at U&I (a nonprofit organisation aiming at mentoring underprivileged children) crafting tailored lesson plans, honed my empathetic and clear leadership style. My freelance work as an AI Prompt Engineer at SoulAI, fine-tuning Large Language Models helped bridge my neuroscience and AI expertise. This unique blend of cognitive science, computational modeling, and AI proficiency enables me to understand and advance xAI’s mission of accelerating human discovery and understanding of the universe.