Hey, my name is Tristan and I am a Computational Neuroscientist.

Currently, I am employed as a CIDAS Fellow at CIDAS - Campus-Institut Data Sciene, Göttingen University, and as a research fellow (part-time) at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany.

My research agenda revolves around deciphering how the brain builds and uses its internal model of the world, also called cognitive map. This topic fascinates me for two reasons: First, it is an exciting, yet unresolved, neuroscientific question. Second, reengineering cognitive map formation in artificial neural networks could lead to intelligent systems that surpass current technology in reliability, speed, and efficiency in terms of data requirements and energy consumption. To this aim, my students and I build artificial neural networks to explain experimental data and to solve real world challenges. We focus primarily on the hippocampus because of its crucial role for cognitive map formation. In addition, I recently started working on neuromorphic hardware and I use my theoretical and physiological knowledge to support research on epilepsy.

Biography

As a Think@Ruhr Research Fellow from 2022-2025, I worked as an independent postdoc under the mentorship of Prof. Sen Cheng at Ruhr University Bochum, focusing on topics around hippocampal theory and information processing in recurrent neural networks. Between 2020 and 2022, I worked as a postdoc in the lab of Jochen Triesch at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies on questions related to synaptic lifetime, criticality, and epileptogenesis. In 2021, I earned my Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oslo as part of the Simula-UiO-UCSD Research and PhD training program . Supervised by Arvind Kumar, Marianne Fyhn, and Jill Leutgeb, my PhD research led to the development of a theory for the computational role of the hippocampal region CA2. Prior to this, I obtained a Master's degree at the University of Freiburg, studying Computational Neuroscience at the Bernstein Center Freiburg.

Highlighted Publications

For more publications, visit Google Scholar.

Academic Distinctions

Lab Members

Join us!

Science is not for the faint-hearted. Wrestling secrets out of nature is a rollercoaster, and however hard I try to guide you, success is never guaranteed. To survive you need talent and knowledge, of course – but also an unshakeable curiosity, a good dose of stubbornness, and a slightly unreasonable optimism.

If that sounds like a match, feel free to reach out. At the moment I have these openings:

Prerequisites: strong quantitative skills, fluency in Python, experience with machine learning, and genuine curiosity about both brains and machines.

What we offer: an interdisciplinary group at the interface of neuroscience and AI, a strong national and international network, and a generous ERC travel and publication budget for conferences such as NeurIPS, Cosyne and FENS.

How to apply: send your CV, a short motivation letter naming the position you are interested in, and contact details of two references to tristan.stoeber@posteo.net. Applications are reviewed as they arrive. Internships and thesis projects outside these openings are always welcome – just get in touch.

Funding

Alumni