Anne awarded Rising Stars of Neuroscience 2025 award

Original text: https://www.thetransmitter.org/early-career-researchers/rising-stars-neuroscience-2

Dr. Urai applies computational modeling of behavioral data to understand the neural basis of decision-making and its variability across individuals and contexts. Urai was one of the first core members of the International Brain Laboratory, a global consortium of systems and computational neuroscientists, where she helped develop reproducible methods to study decision-making in mice.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Urai is interested in addressing the role of academics in responding to climate change. In a 2023 perspective paper, Urai and her colleague Clare Kelly proposed seven practical reforms to increase sustainable practices in academia. Alexandre Pouget, professor of basic neurosciences at the University of Geneva, says that this is one of the reasons why Urai stands out. “Our field is far from efficient, and in the face of global warming, we must seriously rethink how to make our work both more effective and more sustainable. Many acknowledge it—few act on it. Anne is one of those few.”

Featured paper: Structure uncovered: understanding temporal variability in perceptual decision-making. Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2025)