Aaron Batista

  • Ph.D., Computational and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, 1994 - 1999
  • M.S.E., Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, 1994
  • B.S.E., Computer Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 1994
  • B.A., Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, 1994

  • Blumenthal, G.H., Dekleva, B.M., Gontier, C., Gonzalez, I.C., Gonzalez-Martinez, J.A., Yu, B.M., Batista, A.P., Sobinov, A.R., Miller, L.E., Gaunt, R.A., Boninger, M.L., Chase, S.M., & Collinger, J.L. (2026). Distinct neural modes carry information about grasp force and phase in the sensorimotor cortex. bioRxiv.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.64898/2026.02.01.702680.
  • Marino, P.J., Bahureksa, L., Fisac, C.F., Oby, E.R., Smoulder, A.L., Motiwala, A., Degenhart, A.D., Grigsby, E.M., Joiner, W.M., Chase, S.M., Yu, B.M., & Batista, A.P. (2025). A posture subspace in the primary motor cortex. Neuron, 113(21), 3647-3660.e10.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.07.030.
  • Miller, C.T., Basso, M.A., Batista, A.P., Gothard, K.M., Parker, K.J., Tsao, D.Y., Williams, Z.M., & Platt, M.L. (2025). Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust. Nat Neurosci, 28(11), 2169-2170.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41593-025-02092-0.
  • Oby, E.R., Degenhart, A.D., Grigsby, E.M., Motiwala, A., McClain, N.T., Marino, P.J., Yu, B.M., & Batista, A.P. (2025). Dynamical constraints on neural population activity. Nat Neurosci, 28(2), 383-393.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01845-7.
  • Smoulder, A.L., Marino, P.J., Oby, E.R., Snyder, S.E., Batista, A.P., & Chase, S.M. (2025). Reward influences movement vigor through multiple motor cortical mechanisms. bioRxiv, 2025.04.09.648001.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2025.04.09.648001.
  • Dekleva, B.M., Chowdhury, R.H., Batista, A.P., Chase, S.M., Yu, B.M., Boninger, M.L., & Collinger, J.L. (2024). Motor cortex retains and reorients neural dynamics during motor imagery. Nat Hum Behav, 8(4), 729-742.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41562-023-01804-5.
  • Losey, D.M., Hennig, J.A., Oby, E.R., Golub, M.D., Sadtler, P.T., Quick, K.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., Yu, B.M., & Chase, S.M. (2024). Learning leaves a memory trace in motor cortex. Curr Biol, 34(7), 1519-1531.e4.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.003.
  • Mitchell, J.F., Wang, K.H., Batista, A.P., & Miller, C.T. (2024). An ethologically motivated neurobiology of primate visually-guided reach-to-grasp behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 86, 102872.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102872.
  • Sadeghi, M., Sharif Razavian, R., Bazzi, S., Chowdhury, R.H., Batista, A.P., Loughlin, P.J., & Sternad, D. (2024). Inferring control objectives in a virtual balancing task in humans and monkeys. Elife, 12.eLife. doi: 10.7554/eLife.88514.
  • Smoulder, A.L., Marino, P.J., Oby, E.R., Snyder, S.E., Miyata, H., Pavlovsky, N.P., Bishop, W.E., Yu, B.M., Chase, S.M., & Batista, A.P. (2024). A neural basis of choking under pressure. Neuron, 112(20), 3424-3433.e8.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.012.
  • Batista, A.P., Pandarinath, C., & Yu, B.M. (2023). Krishna Shenoy (1968-2023). Neuron, 111(6), 764-766.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.035.
  • Dekleva, B.M., Chowdhury, R.H., Batista, A.P., Chase, S.M., Yu, B.M., Boninger, M.L., & Collinger, J.L. (2023). Motor cortex retains and reorients neural dynamics during motor imagery. bioRxiv, 2023.01.17.524394.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524394.
  • Smoulder, A.L., Marino, P.J., Oby, E.R., Snyder, S.E., Miyata, H., Pavlovsky, N.P., Bishop, W.E., Yu, B.M., Chase, S.M., & Batista, A.P. (2023). A neural basis of choking under pressure. bioRxiv, 2023.04.16.537007.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.04.16.537007.
  • Batista, A.P., & Horwitz, G.D. (2022). Cognitive neuroscience: Mental replay in monkeys. Curr Biol, 32(9), R430-R432.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.061.
  • Hennig, J.A., Oby, E.R., Golub, M.D., Bahureksa, L.A., Sadtler, P.T., Quick, K.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., Chase, S.M., & Yu, B.M. (2021). Learning is shaped by abrupt changes in neural engagement. Nat Neurosci, 24(5), 727-736.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41593-021-00822-8.
  • Hennig, J.A., Oby, E.R., Losey, D.M., Batista, A.P., Yu, B.M., & Chase, S.M. (2021). How learning unfolds in the brain: toward an optimization view. Neuron, 109(23), 3720-3735.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.005.
  • Liu, M., Batista, A., Bensmaia, S., & Weber, D.J. (2021). Information about contact force and surface texture is mixed in the firing rates of cutaneous afferent neurons. J Neurophysiol, 125(2), 496-508.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.00725.2019.
  • Smoulder, A.L., Pavlovsky, N.P., Marino, P.J., Degenhart, A.D., McClain, N.T., Batista, A.P., & Chase, S.M. (2021). Monkeys exhibit a paradoxical decrease in performance in high-stakes scenarios. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 118(35).Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2109643118.
  • Batista, A. (2020). Brain-computer interfaces for basic neuroscience. In Brain-Computer Interfaces. 168, (pp. 233-247).Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63934-9.00017-2.
  • Degenhart, A.D., Bishop, W.E., Oby, E.R., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Chase, S.M., Batista, A.P., & Yu, B.M. (2020). Stabilization of a brain-computer interface via the alignment of low-dimensional spaces of neural activity. Nat Biomed Eng, 4(7), 672-685.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41551-020-0542-9.
  • Batista, A.P., & Kording, K.P. (2019). A Deep Dive to Illuminate V4 Neurons. Trends Neurosci, 42(9), 563-564.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.07.001.
  • Oby, E.R., Golub, M.D., Hennig, J.A., Degenhart, A.D., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Yu, B.M., Chase, S.M., & Batista, A.P. (2019). New neural activity patterns emerge with long-term learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 116(30), 15210-15215.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1820296116.
  • Batista, A.P., & DiCarlo, J.J. (2018). Deep learning reaches the motor system. Nat Methods, 15(10), 772-773.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41592-018-0152-6.
  • Golub, M.D., Sadtler, P.T., Oby, E.R., Quick, K.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., Chase, S.M., & Yu, B.M. (2018). Learning by neural reassociation. Nat Neurosci, 21(4), 607-616.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0095-3.
  • Golub, M.D., Sadtler, P.T., Oby, E.R., Quick, K.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., Chase, S.M., & Yu, B.M. (2018). Publisher Correction: Learning by neural reassociation. Nat Neurosci, 21(8), 1138.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0185-2.
  • Hennig, J.A., Golub, M.D., Lund, P.J., Sadtler, P.T., Oby, E.R., Quick, K.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., Yu, B.M., & Chase, S.M. (2018). Constraints on neural redundancy. Elife, 7.eLife. doi: 10.7554/eLife.36774.
  • Quick, K.M., Mischel, J.L., Loughlin, P.J., & Batista, A.P. (2018). The critical stability task: quantifying sensory-motor control during ongoing movement in nonhuman primates. J Neurophysiol, 120(5), 2164-2181.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.00300.2017.
  • Huggins, J.E., Guger, C., Ziat, M., Zander, T.O., Taylor, D., Tangermann, M., Soria-Frisch, A., Simeral, J., Scherer, R., Rupp, R., Ruffini, G., Robinson, D.K.R., Ramsey, N.F., Nijholt, A., Müller-Putz, G., McFarland, D.J., Mattia, D., Lance, B.J., Kindermans, P.J., Iturrate, I., Herff, C., Gupta, D., Do, A.H., Collinger, J.L., Chavarriaga, R., Chase, S.M., Bleichner, M.G., Batista, A., Anderson, C.W., & Aarnoutse, E.J. (2017). Workshops of the Sixth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting: brain-computer interfaces past, present, and future. Brain Comput Interfaces (Abingdon), 4(1-2), 3-36.Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/2326263X.2016.1275488.
  • Degenhart, A.D., Eles, J., Dum, R., Mischel, J.L., Smalianchuk, I., Endler, B., Ashmore, R.C., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Hatsopoulos, N.G., Wang, W., Batista, A.P., & Cui, X.T. (2016). Histological evaluation of a chronically-implanted electrocorticographic electrode grid in a non-human primate. J Neural Eng, 13(4), 046019.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/4/046019.
  • Golub, M.D., Chase, S.M., Batista, A.P., & Yu, B.M. (2016). Brain-computer interfaces for dissecting cognitive processes underlying sensorimotor control. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 37, 53-58.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.12.005.
  • Oby, E.R., Perel, S., Sadtler, P.T., Ruff, D.A., Mischel, J.L., Montez, D.F., Cohen, M.R., Batista, A.P., & Chase, S.M. (2016). Extracellular voltage threshold settings can be tuned for optimal encoding of movement and stimulus parameters. J Neural Eng, 13(3), 036009.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/3/036009.
  • Lakshmanan, K.C., Sadtler, P.T., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., & Yu, B.M. (2015). Extracting Low-Dimensional Latent Structure from Time Series in the Presence of Delays. Neural Comput, 27(9), 1825-1856.MIT Press. doi: 10.1162/NECO_a_00759.
  • Perel, S., Sadtler, P.T., Oby, E.R., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., & Chase, S.M. (2015). Single-unit activity, threshold crossings, and local field potentials in motor cortex differentially encode reach kinematics. J Neurophysiol, 114(3), 1500-1512.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.00293.2014.
  • Sadtler, P.T., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Yu, B.M., & Batista, A.P. (2015). Brain-computer interface control along instructed paths. J Neural Eng, 12(1), 016015.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/12/1/016015.
  • Godlove, J.M., Whaite, E.O., & Batista, A.P. (2014). Comparing temporal aspects of visual, tactile, and microstimulation feedback for motor control. J Neural Eng, 11(4), 046025.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/11/4/046025.
  • Huggins, J.E., Guger, C., Allison, B., Anderson, C.W., Batista, A., Brouwer, A.M.A.M., Brunner, C., Chavarriaga, R., Fried-Oken, M., Gunduz, A., Gupta, D., Kübler, A., Leeb, R., Lotte, F., Miller, L.E., Müller-Putz, G., Rutkowski, T., Tangermann, M., & Thompson, D.E. (2014). Workshops of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting: Defining the Future. Brain Comput Interfaces (Abingdon), 1(1), 27-49.Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/2326263X.2013.876724.
  • Sadtler, P.T., Quick, K.M., Golub, M.D., Chase, S.M., Ryu, S.I., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Yu, B.M., & Batista, A.P. (2014). Neural constraints on learning. Nature, 512(7515), 423-426.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/nature13665.
  • Todorova, S., Sadtler, P., Batista, A., Chase, S., & Ventura, V. (2014). To sort or not to sort: the impact of spike-sorting on neural decoding performance. J Neural Eng, 11(5), 056005.IOP Publishing. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/11/5/056005.
  • Ashmore, R.C., Endler, B.M., Smalianchuk, I., Degenhart, A.D., Hatsopoulos, N.G., Tyler-Kabara, E.C., Batista, A.P., & Wang, W. (2012). Stable online control of an electrocorticographic brain-computer interface using a static decoder. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2012, 1740-1744.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2012.6346285.
  • Zhao, M., Batista, A., Cunningham, J.P., Chestek, C., Rivera-Alvidrez, Z., Kalmar, R., Ryu, S., Shenoy, K., & Iyengar, S. (2012). An L₁-regularized logistic model for detecting short-term neuronal interactions. J Comput Neurosci, 32(3), 479-497.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s10827-011-0365-5.
  • Batista, A.P., Yu, B.M., Santhanam, G., Ryu, S.I., Afshar, A., & Shenoy, K.V. (2008). Cortical neural prosthesis performance improves when eye position is monitored. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng, 16(1), 24-31.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2007.906958.
  • Buneo, C.A., Batista, A.P., Jarvis, M.R., & Andersen, R.A. (2008). Time-invariant reference frames for parietal reach activity. Exp Brain Res, 188(1), 77-89.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s00221-008-1340-x.
  • Batista, A.P., Santhanam, G., Yu, B.M., Ryu, S.I., Afshar, A., & Shenoy, K.V. (2007). Reference frames for reach planning in macaque dorsal premotor cortex. J Neurophysiol, 98(2), 966-983.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.00421.2006.
  • Chestek, C.A., Batista, A.P., Santhanam, G., Yu, B.M., Afshar, A., Cunningham, J.P., Gilja, V., Ryu, S.I., Churchland, M.M., & Shenoy, K.V. (2007). Single-neuron stability during repeated reaching in macaque premotor cortex. J Neurosci, 27(40), 10742-10750.Society for Neuroscience. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0959-07.2007.
  • Quian Quiroga, R., Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., Cui, H., & Andersen, R.A. (2006). Movement intention is better predicted than attention in the posterior parietal cortex. J Neurosci, 26(13), 3615-3620.Society for Neuroscience. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3468-05.2006.
  • Shenoy, K.V., Santhanam, G., Ryu, S.I., Afshar, A., Yu, B.M., Gilja, V., Linderman, M.D., Kalmar, R.S., Cunningham, J.P., Kemere, C.T., Batista, A.P., Churchland, M.M., & Meng, T.H. (2006). Increasing the performance of cortically-controlled prostheses. Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference, Suppl, 6652-6656.
  • Horwitz, G.D., Batista, A., & Newsome, W.T. (2004). Direction-selective visual responses in macaque superior colliculus induced by behavioral training. Neuroscience Letters, 366(315-319).
  • Horwitz, G.D., Batista, A., & Newsome, W.T. (2004). Representation of an abstract perceptual decision in macaque superior colliculus (Accompanied by Editorial Focus: JL Gold, "Through the looking glass" Journal of Neurophysiology 91: 1936-1937 (2004).). Journal of Neurophysiology, 91, 2281-2296.
  • Horwitz, G.D., Batista, A.P., & Newsome, W.T. (2004). Representation of an abstract perceptual decision in macaque superior colliculus. J Neurophysiol, 91(5), 2281-2296.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.00872.2003.
  • Horwitz, G.D., Batista, A.P., & Newsome, W.T. (2004). Direction-selective visual responses in macaque superior colliculus induced by behavioral training. Neurosci Lett, 366(3), 315-319.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.05.059.
  • Batista, A.P. (2003). A computational basis to object?. Neuron, 37(2), 189-190.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(03)00029-1.
  • Buneo, C.A., Jarvis, M.R., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2003). Properties of spike train spectra in two parietal reach areas. Exp Brain Res, 153(2), 134-139.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s00221-003-1586-2.
  • Shenoy, K.V., Meeker, D., Cao, S., Kureshi, S.A., Pesaran, B., Buneo, C.A., Batista, A.P., Mitra, P.P., Burdick, J.W., & Andersen, R.A. (2003). Neural prosthetic control signals from plan activity. Neuroreport, 14(4), 591-596.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200303240-00013.
  • Batista, A. (2002). Inner space: reference frames. Curr Biol, 12(11), R380-R383.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(02)00878-3.
  • Buneo, C.A., Jarvis, M.R., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2002). Direct visuomotor transformations for reaching. Nature, 416(6881), 632-636.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/416632a.
  • Cohen, Y.E., Batista, A., & Andersen, R.A. (2002). Comparison of auditory and visual responses in the parietal reach region. Neuroreport, 13(4), 891-894.
  • Cohen, Y.E., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2002). Comparison of neural activity preceding reaches to auditory and visual stimuli in the parietal reach region. Neuroreport, 13(6), 891-894.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/00001756-200205070-00031.
  • Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2001). The parietal reach region codes the next planned movement in a sequential reach task. J Neurophysiol, 85(2), 539-544.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.2001.85.2.539.
  • Batista, A.P., & Newsome, W.T. (2000). Visuo-motor control: giving the brain a hand. Curr Biol, 10(4), R145-R148.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(00)00327-4.
  • Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2000). Saccade-related activity in the parietal reach region. J Neurophysiol, 83(2), 1099-1102.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.2000.83.2.1099.
  • Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (2000). Intention-related activity in the posterior parietal cortex: a review. Vision Res, 40(10-12), 1433-1441.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/s0042-6989(00)00052-3.
  • Batista, A., Buneo, C.A., Snyder, L.H., & Andersen, R.A. (1999). Reach plans in eye-centered coordinates; (Accompanied by News Focus: M Barinaga, "The mapmaking mind" Science 285: 189-912 (1999).). Science, 285, 257-260.
  • Batista, A.P., Buneo, C.A., Snyder, L.H., & Andersen, R.A. (1999). Reach plans in eye-centered coordinates. Science, 285(5425), 257-260.American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). doi: 10.1126/science.285.5425.257.
  • Andersen, R.A., Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., Buneo, C.A., & Cohen, Y.E. (1998). Posterior parietal areas specialized for eye movements (LIP) and reach (PRR) using a common coordinate frame. Novartis Found Symp, 218(218), 109-122.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/9780470515563.ch7.
  • Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (1998). Change in motor plan, without a change in the spatial locus of attention, modulates activity in posterior parietal cortex. J Neurophysiol, 79(5), 2814-2819.American Physiological Society. doi: 10.1152/jn.1998.79.5.2814.
  • Snyder, L.H., Batista, A., & Andersen, R.A. (1997). Coding of intention in the posterior parietal cortex; (Accompanied by News & Views: MN Shadlen, "Look but don't touch, or vice versa" Nature 386: 122-123 (1997).). Nature, 386, 167-170.
  • Snyder, L.H., Batista, A.P., & Andersen, R.A. (1997). Coding of intention in the posterior parietal cortex. Nature, 386(6621), 167-170.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/386167a0.

  • Quick, K.M., Card, N.S., Whaite, S.M., Mischel, J., Loughlin, P., & Batista, A.P. (2014). Assessing vibrotactile feedback strategies by controlling a cursor with unstable dynamics. In Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2014, (pp. 2589-2592).Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).United States. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2014.6944152.
  • Perel, S., Sadtler, P.T., Godlove, J.M., Ryu, S.I., Wang, W., Batista, A.P., & Chase, S.M. (2013). Direction and speed tuning of motor-cortex multi-unit activity and local field potentials during reaching movements. In Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2013, (pp. 299-302).Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).United States. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2013.6609496.
  • Sadtler, P.T., Ryu, S.I., Yu, B.M., & Batista, A.P. (2011). High-performance neural prosthetic control along nstructed paths. In 2013 6th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER), (pp. 601-604).Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi: 10.1109/ner.2011.5910620.
  • Shenoy, K.V., Santhanam, G., Ryu, S.I., Afshar, A., Yu, B.M., Gilja, V., Linderman, M.D., Kalmar, R.S., Cunningham, J.P., Kemere, C.T., Batista, A.P., Churchland, M.M., & Meng, T.H. (2006). Increasing the performance of cortically-controlled prostheses. In Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, Suppl, (pp. 6652-6656).Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).United States. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2006.260912.
Research Interests
Neurosciences Biological psychology Biomedical engineering Machine learning Sports science and exercise Ophthalmology and optometry
headshot of Aaron Batista
Contact Aaron Batista
Professor
George M. and Eva M. Bevier Professor
aaron.batista@pitt.edu
Bioengineering Department