Thomas Akam on Model-based RL in the Brain

TalkRL: The Reinforcement Learning Podcast

Prof Thomas Akam is a Neuroscientist at the Oxford University Department of Experimental Psychology. He is a Wellcome Career Development Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, and leads the Cognitive Circuits research group.

Featured References

Brain Architecture for Adaptive Behaviour
Thomas Akam, RLDM 2025 Tutorial

Additional References

• Thomas Akam on Google Scholar
• pyPhotometry : Open source, Python based, fiber photometry data acquisition
• pyControl : Open source, Python based, behavioural experiment control.
• Uncertainty-based competition between prefrontal and dorsolateral striatal systems for behavioral control, Nathaniel D Daw, Yael Niv, Peter Dayan, 2005
• Further analysis of the hippocampal amnesic syndrome: 14-year follow-up study of H. M., Milner, B., Corkin, S., & Teuber, H. L., 1968
• Internally generated cell assembly sequences in the rat hippocampus, Pastalkova E, Itskov V, Amarasingham A, Buzsáki G. Science. 2008
• Multi-disciplinary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision 2025