Ximeng Mao
PhD @ Mila, University of Montreal
I am broadly interested in applying machine learning systems to real-world problems. My PhD research focuses on neural interfaces, where I explore bio-signal foundation models for real-time neural decoding as a generalizable and deployable approach. Previously, I have worked on applied problems in neurostimulation and radiotherapy.
I am a PhD candidate in computer science at Mila and University of Montreal, supervised by Dr. Guillaume Lajoie. I am broadly interested in applying machine learning and deep learning methods to problems rooted from neural interfaces, and I aim to leverage both deterministic and stochastic models for generic solutions. My current research direction centers on foundation models for neural decoding, with a focus on joint learning on self-supervised learning and supervised learning. My other interests include meta learning, probabilistic modeling, reinforcement learning and medical image analysis.
I was initially trained in computer engineering, where I worked on localization methods for wireless sensor networks. Prior to my current studies, I had been a software developer at Oracle R&D (Beijing).
| 2025 | POSSM paper accepted at NeurIPS 2025! | |
| 2024 | Meta Learning paper for Neurostimulation published at Journal of Neural Engineering! | |
| 2023 | POYO paper accepted at NeurIPS 2023! | |
| 2023 | TEB paper accepted at TMLR! | |
| 2023 | Started my PhD at Mila & University of Montreal, supervised by Dr. Guillaume Lajoie | |
| 2020 | Completed my Master at McGill University, supervised by Dr. Joelle Pineau and Dr. Shrin A. Enger |