The Alan J. Perlis (Fun) Lecture in Computer Science - David Sussillo
April 13, 2026 5:00PM—6:30PM
Location:
In Person
-
Rashid Auditorium, Gates Hillman 4401
Speaker:
DAVID SUSSILLO,
Technologist, Neuroscientist, and Professor
Meta Reality Labs and
Adjunct Professor, Stanford University
and SCS Alumnus
https://www.davidsussillo.com/about
The Alan J. Perlis (Fun) Lecture in Computer Science - An SCS Distinguished Lecture
David Sussillo has made a career at the cutting edge of neuroscience and technology—yet his path there was anything but a straight line. Born to drug-addicted parents in New Mexico, he navigated a childhood marked by violence and neglect. But a seed was planted at the unlikeliest of places—the local arcade.
What followed is a remarkable journey of resilience and transformation, from the chaotic corridors of group homes to the halls of Columbia and Stanford. Along the way, Sussillo takes one on an illuminating tour of the century-long dance between neuroscience, physics, and computation that has laid the groundwork for neural networks—the technology that drives modern artificial intelligence. As he advances in the field, working to demystify these networks, he also begins to pursue an answer to a more personal question: why, and how, did he succeed against all odds?
David invites all of us on an unforgettable journey that bridges the personal and the profound, revealing how intricate complexities can arise from simple beginnings.
—
David Sussillo spent five years in the Albuquerque Christian Children's Home and four years at the Milton Hershey School as a child. After graduating high school, he ultimately received a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Computational Neuroscience. Now David is an adjunct professor at Stanford University and has been a scientist at the Google Brain group (recently featured in the book Genius Makers) and Meta Reality Labs. In his professional pursuits, David researches brain-machine interfaces to develop the next generation of computers. David was the recipient of a Fulbright research grant and is an internationally recognized neuroscientist with over 40 publications. He works to understand the ghost in the machine - how cells in our brain collectively give rise to the computations that determine behavior. David has been happily married these last 17 years to his wife, Robin.
Part of the SCS Distinguished Lecture Series
→ Copies of Dr. Sussillo's book will be available the the CMU Bookstore prior to and after his presentation.
Copies will also be available at the auditorium (cash only or a CMU account number) the day of his lecture.
→ He will also be available for booksigning in the CMU Bookstore from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 11. Stop by during Carnival to meet the author!
For More Information:
scs-dls@cs.cmu.edu