Rishika
Mohanta
I’m a neuroscientist in love with insect brains and animal behavior. I am also an experienced TTRPG Game-Master and a proud Queer Woman of Color.
I am deeply passionate about Mechanistic Neuroethology, where I would like to combines experimental tools and theoretical models to uncover the intricate
relationship between our senses and behavior. I am fascinated by how animals integrate diverse streams of information to navigate their natural environments
and make decisions influenced by rewards and memory. Exploring the brains of different animals within the context of their ecology and evolutionary history
is a key aspiration of my research career, as it allows us to grasp the bigger picture of neural mechanisms underlying behavior.
In addition to my scientific pursuits, I find great joy in developing new software, designing innovative experimental rigs, and constructing theoretical models
that shed light on the wondrous phenomena that surround us. Further, I believe that science should not exist in isolation, and I am deeply committed to my social
responsibility as a privileged transgender person and try to get involved in different forms of activism, striving to improve the lives of marginalized communities,
particularly the queer community. As a recreational pursuit, I indulge in the role of a Game-Master, orchestrating sessions for Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons,
and other Tabletop Roleplaying games. In these immersive worlds, my focus lies in rewarding and nurturing immersive roleplay, fostering a creative environment
for collective storytelling.
With a relentless curiosity and a fervent desire to unravel the mysteries of nature, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge
and make meaningful contributions to our understanding of the world we inhabit.
General Info
- PronounsShe/Her
- PronunciationRee-shee-ka Moh-hun-tah
- Address
Box 31, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, United States - Work E-mail
rmohanta [at] rockefeller.edu - Personal E-mail
neurorishika [at] gmail.com
Conferences/Workshops
- Speaker and Poster Co-author at Cosyne 2024
- Speaker and Co-organizer at HHMI Janelia Conference on Bridging Diverse Perspectives on the Mechanistic Basis of Foraging 2024
- Participant at SfN Responsible Conduct of Research Short Course on RCR Short Course: Responsible Use of AI in Neuroscience Research and Education 2023
- Presented a poster at Society for Neuroscience Conference 2022
- Participated in Janelia Agent Based Modelling Workshop 2022
- Participated in Janelia Elevator Pitch Workshop 2022
- Participated in Establishing a brand online Workshop 2022
- Participated in SFN Responsible Conduct of Research Short Course on Tackling Challenges in Data Management, Collection, Sharing Workshop 2022
- Presented a poster at SfN Global Connectome 2021
- Participated in Interactive Track of Neuromatch Academy 2020
- Attended the FENS Forum of Neuroscience 2020 under ALBA-FKNE-YIBRO Diversity Grant
- Attended the 2020 International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience
- Gave a talk, moderated and attended at the Monsoon Brain Meeting 2020
- Attended the Vision Researchers Colloquium 2020
- Participated in the Workshop on Physics in Animal Behavior 2020
- Presented a poster and attended the Virtual Dopamine Conference 2020
- Attended the Neurizons Conference 2020
- Volunteered, Reviewed and attended the Neuromatch 2.0 Conference
- Attended The Allied Genetics Conference 2020
- Attended the Neuromatch 1.0 Conference
- Presented a poster and attended the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference 2020
- Organised, presented a poster and attended No Garland Neuroscience Conference 2020
Scholarships/Grants/Awards
- Rockefeller University BIOGROW (Bioscience Initiative for Outreach, Growth, and Research Optimization for Well-rounded Students) Program Scholar 2024
- Trainee Professional Development Award for Attending SfN Global Connectome 2021
- ALBA-FKNE-YIBRO Diversity Grant for Attending FENS Forum 2020
- DAAD-WISE Scholar (2020) but travel cancelled due to COVID-19
- Special Mention for Best Poster at the Asia-Pacific Drosophila Research Conference 5 (2020)
- Janelia Undergraduate Scholar (2019)
- IISER Pune Award for Academic Excellence (2018)
- Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojna (KVPY) Fellow (2018-2022)
- DST-Inspire SHE Scholarship (2017-18)
- US Dept of State Museum Connect Program Exchange Scholar (2015-16)
- Jagdish Bose National Science Talent Search Junior Scholar (2015)
- Mamraj Agarwal Award (2015) for exceptional performance in ICSE 2015
Scientific Skills
- Insect Field Collection (Proficient)
- Insect Physiology and Anatomy (Proficient)
- Drosophila Genetics (Competent)
- Drosophila Brain Dissection and Imaging (Competent)
- Drosophila Optogenetics (Competent)
- Insect VR Design and Fabrication (Expert)
- Neuron/Network Modelling (LIF, HH, Rate-based) (Expert)
- Epidemiological Modelling (Expert)
- Frequentist Statistics (Expert)
- Bayesian Statistics (Expert)
- Machine Learning techniques (Expert)
- Bayesian Statistics (Expert)
- Deep Learning (Expert)
- Reinforcement Learning (Competent)
Extracurricular Postions
- Karavaan 2019 Sponsorship Coordinator: Fund negotiation and management for students' cultural festival
- Karavaan 2018 Design Coordinator: Artwork, Logo, Poster, Website, Banner Design for students's cultural festival
- Disha Spread the Smile Volunteer (2018-2020): Science Education and Demonstration for Village students
- Mimamsa 2019 Chemistry Team Leader: Critical Research Thinking Question Design for national science quiz
- Workshop Instructor for IISER Data Science Club: Teaching basic ML and statistical techniques to Undergraduate and Graduate students.
- Freelance Graphics Artist and Game Developer (2014-2019): Website, logo and poster design for small local businesses or collectives.
MOOC Certifications
Life Sciences and Medicine
- Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions (University of Alberta) on Coursera
- Advanced Neurobiology II (Peking University) on Coursera
- Advanced Neurobiology I (Peking University) on Coursera
- Fundamentals of Immunology Specialization (3 Courses) (Rice University) on Coursera
- Transgender Medicine for General Medical Providers (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) on Coursera
Psychology
- Introduction to Psychology (Yale University) on Coursera
- Psychological First Aid (Johns Hopkins University) on Coursera
Economics
- Microeconomics Principles (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) on Coursera
- Introduction to Economic Theories (Erasmus University Rotterdam) on Coursera
- Logic for Economists (University of Amsterdam) on Coursera
- Welcome to Game Theory (The University of Tokyo) on Coursera
- An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing (Copenhagen Business School) on Coursera
Gender Studies
- Feminism and Social Justice (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Community Organizing for Social Justice (University of Michigan) on Coursera
- Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Gender Identity (University of Colorado System) on Coursera
- Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of Pittsburgh) on Coursera
- What does it mean to identify as Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC)? (University of Minnesota) on Coursera
Politics
- Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom (Rutgers the State University of New Jersey) on Coursera
- Moral Foundations of Politics (Yale University) on Coursera
Philosophy and Ethics
- Introduction to Philosophy (The University of Edinburgh) on Coursera
- Data Science Ethics (University of Michigan) on Coursera
Statistics
- Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Mixture Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Stochastic Processes: Data Analysis and Computer Simulation (Kyoto University) on edX
- Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra (Harvard University) on edX
- Statistics and R (Harvard University) on edX
Machine Learning
- Deep Learning 101 (IBM) on cognitiveclass.ai
- Zero to Deep Learning™ with Python and Keras (Data Weekends, Jose Portilla) on Udemy
- Machine Learning (Stanford University) on Coursera
- Machine Learning and Data Science with Python (Jose Portilla) on Udemy
Miscellaneous
- Julia Scientific Programming (University of Cape Town) on Coursera
- Master C Programming (Mohammad el-haj) on Udemy
- Introduction to Typography (California Institute of the Arts) on Coursera
- Front End Development Program (FreeCodeCamp) on FCC
- Introduction to Psychology (Yale University) on Coursera
- Psychological First Aid (Johns Hopkins University) on Coursera
Economics
- Microeconomics Principles (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) on Coursera
- Introduction to Economic Theories (Erasmus University Rotterdam) on Coursera
- Logic for Economists (University of Amsterdam) on Coursera
- Welcome to Game Theory (The University of Tokyo) on Coursera
- An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing (Copenhagen Business School) on Coursera
Gender Studies
- Feminism and Social Justice (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Community Organizing for Social Justice (University of Michigan) on Coursera
- Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Gender Identity (University of Colorado System) on Coursera
- Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of Pittsburgh) on Coursera
- What does it mean to identify as Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC)? (University of Minnesota) on Coursera
Politics
- Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom (Rutgers the State University of New Jersey) on Coursera
- Moral Foundations of Politics (Yale University) on Coursera
Philosophy and Ethics
- Introduction to Philosophy (The University of Edinburgh) on Coursera
- Data Science Ethics (University of Michigan) on Coursera
Statistics
- Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Mixture Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Stochastic Processes: Data Analysis and Computer Simulation (Kyoto University) on edX
- Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra (Harvard University) on edX
- Statistics and R (Harvard University) on edX
Machine Learning
- Deep Learning 101 (IBM) on cognitiveclass.ai
- Zero to Deep Learning™ with Python and Keras (Data Weekends, Jose Portilla) on Udemy
- Machine Learning (Stanford University) on Coursera
- Machine Learning and Data Science with Python (Jose Portilla) on Udemy
Miscellaneous
- Julia Scientific Programming (University of Cape Town) on Coursera
- Master C Programming (Mohammad el-haj) on Udemy
- Introduction to Typography (California Institute of the Arts) on Coursera
- Front End Development Program (FreeCodeCamp) on FCC
- Feminism and Social Justice (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Community Organizing for Social Justice (University of Michigan) on Coursera
- Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ Sexuality and Gender Identity (University of Colorado System) on Coursera
- Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of Pittsburgh) on Coursera
- What does it mean to identify as Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC)? (University of Minnesota) on Coursera
Politics
- Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom (Rutgers the State University of New Jersey) on Coursera
- Moral Foundations of Politics (Yale University) on Coursera
Philosophy and Ethics
- Introduction to Philosophy (The University of Edinburgh) on Coursera
- Data Science Ethics (University of Michigan) on Coursera
Statistics
- Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Mixture Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Stochastic Processes: Data Analysis and Computer Simulation (Kyoto University) on edX
- Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra (Harvard University) on edX
- Statistics and R (Harvard University) on edX
Machine Learning
- Deep Learning 101 (IBM) on cognitiveclass.ai
- Zero to Deep Learning™ with Python and Keras (Data Weekends, Jose Portilla) on Udemy
- Machine Learning (Stanford University) on Coursera
- Machine Learning and Data Science with Python (Jose Portilla) on Udemy
Miscellaneous
- Julia Scientific Programming (University of Cape Town) on Coursera
- Master C Programming (Mohammad el-haj) on Udemy
- Introduction to Typography (California Institute of the Arts) on Coursera
- Front End Development Program (FreeCodeCamp) on FCC
- Introduction to Philosophy (The University of Edinburgh) on Coursera
- Data Science Ethics (University of Michigan) on Coursera
Statistics
- Bayesian Statistics: From Concept to Data Analysis (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Bayesian Statistics: Mixture Models (University of California, Santa Cruz) on Coursera
- Stochastic Processes: Data Analysis and Computer Simulation (Kyoto University) on edX
- Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra (Harvard University) on edX
- Statistics and R (Harvard University) on edX
Machine Learning
- Deep Learning 101 (IBM) on cognitiveclass.ai
- Zero to Deep Learning™ with Python and Keras (Data Weekends, Jose Portilla) on Udemy
- Machine Learning (Stanford University) on Coursera
- Machine Learning and Data Science with Python (Jose Portilla) on Udemy
Miscellaneous
- Julia Scientific Programming (University of Cape Town) on Coursera
- Master C Programming (Mohammad el-haj) on Udemy
- Introduction to Typography (California Institute of the Arts) on Coursera
- Front End Development Program (FreeCodeCamp) on FCC
- Deep Learning 101 (IBM) on cognitiveclass.ai
- Zero to Deep Learning™ with Python and Keras (Data Weekends, Jose Portilla) on Udemy
- Machine Learning (Stanford University) on Coursera
- Machine Learning and Data Science with Python (Jose Portilla) on Udemy
Miscellaneous
- Julia Scientific Programming (University of Cape Town) on Coursera
- Master C Programming (Mohammad el-haj) on Udemy
- Introduction to Typography (California Institute of the Arts) on Coursera
- Front End Development Program (FreeCodeCamp) on FCC
Spoken Languages
- English (Advanced)
- Hindi (Upper-Intermediate)
- Bengali (Intermediate)
- Japanese (Elementary)
- German (Elementary)
Programming Skills
- Python (Expert)
- MATLAB (Proficient)
- Julia (Competent)
- R (Proficient)
- C/C++ (Competent)
- Java (Competent)
- Frontend (Proficient)
Design Skills
- Photoshop (Proficient)
- Illustrator (Expert)
- InDesign (Competent)
- Unreal Engine 4 (Proficient)
- Unity 5 (Proficient)
- Blender (Expert)
- Marvelous Designer 9 (Competent)
TTRPG Systems for Storytelling
- Pathfinder 2e
- Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition
- World of Darkness System
- Heart the City Beneath
- Stars without Number
- Powered by the Apocalypse System
- Cypher System