Sebastian completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Princeton University, where he studied constraints in human and artificial cognition. Challenged by limited time to test and integrate an increasingly large number of theories and experimental phenomena, Sebastian became interested in integrating artificial intelligence into the scientific process.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow and Brainstorm Innovator at the Carney Institute for Brain Science at Brown University, Sebastian seeks to develop an open-source programming language for autonomous empirical research by incorporating machine learning techniques into a closed-loop system for the generation, estimation, and empirical validation of scientific models. Sebastian aims to co-create and share this system with scientists across various empirical disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, or behavioral economics.
In addition to addressing temporal and structural bottlenecks in empirical research, Sebastian seeks to address practical obstacles of open science by refining autonomous empirical research into a tool for the automated documentation and dissemination of steps taken in the empirical research process. He believes that this research has the potential to significantly accelerate scientific discovery while enhancing scientific standards, such as transparency and replicability.