After earning a master’s thesis in particle physics at the European particle physics laboratory CERN, Dr. Nöbauer obtained a PhD in quantum optics from the Complex Quantum Systems doctoral program at TU Vienna and the University of Vienna, Austria, where he designed and built novel quantum information processors for quantum computing and high-precision sensing. In particular, he demonstrated the coupling of ensembles of point-defects in diamond to superconducting microwave circuits, as well as a versatile approach to robust quantum control. During these studies of the fundamental physics of quantum information, Dr. Nöbauer became increasingly fascinated by the complexity of information processing in neural systems. Inspired by recent advances in optical neural recording that enable the observation of large populations of neurons in vivo, he decided to venture into this emerging field. Currently, in the laboratory of Dr. Alipasha Vaziri at The Rockefeller University, he is developing techniques for high-speed volumetric recording of neuronal dynamics (calcium imaging) from hundreds of thousands of neurons simultaneously, and deep in scattering tissue. By combining advanced multi-photon laser excitation with computational imaging and machine learning, he aims to capture neuronal dynamics from across multiple cortical areas and layers, in order to help unravel population-level information processing in the brain.
