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  1. Employees

Språkvelger

Norsk

Mikkel Alcalá-Haug

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Mikkel Alcalá-Haug

PhD candidate in AI Psychology and Biosignals
Department of Psychology

mikkel.alcala-haug@ntnu.no
Dragvoll, Institutt for Psykologi, Nivå 5, Kontor 12579, Trondheim
About Research Teaching Outreach

About

  • PhD candidate - AI psychology - XAI, biosignals, and personal experiences
  • Surgeon - Neurophotonics lab - Zong Group - Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience (KISN).
  • M.Sc. - Multimodal processing in higher-order brain regions.
  • B.Sc. - Cognitive and Sleep Psychology.

____________________________________________

My Role

I am a PhD candidate in AI psychology, a field where we use intelligent systems to study and solve psychological problems that require intelligence - problems where, traditionally, the human brain alone provided the answers.

I develop interpretable AI tools for complex time-series data from human biosignals. My work combines deep learning with explainable AI (XAI) to make model outputs understandable and usable for researchers and domain experts who don't necessarily have an ML background.

A central question in my research is how explanations, limitations, and uncertainty should be designed and communicated when AI is used as decision support - particularly in contexts where human judgment and real-time signals intersect.

Large Language Models and Unethical AI

In parallel, I work with large language models (LLMs), including fine-tuning (LoRA), dataset design, and RAG. In my teaching, I also cover unethical and manipulative LLM behavior in a controlled manner, to expose risks, biases, and failure patterns, and to train master's students in responsible and safe AI development in Python.

(This text was, inevitably, generated by AI.)

Competencies

  • AI
  • Attention & Emotions
  • Autobiographical Memory
  • Biological Psychology
  • Biosignals
  • Computer Vision
  • Deep Learning
  • EEG
  • Interactive / Immersive VR
  • Machine learning
  • Neuroscience
  • Personal Experiences
  • Rodent Neurosurgery
  • XAI
  • kunstig intelligens

Research

Brainwave Battleground:

using XAI to attack the brain where it matters most.

GUT Project:

Using machine learning and deep learning to analyze the "gut feeling". 

Evil LLM:

Using LoRA to fine-tune LLMs to become unethically ethical. 

Teaching

Courses

  • PSY3230 - The psychology of artificial intelligence
  • PSY3231 - Positive psychology, learning and motivation

Topics for ongoing and/or previous lecturing/supervision:

Artificial Intelligence, XAI, Large Language Models, Cognitive Science, Research Design, Experimental Design, VR, Neurobiology, Anatomy of the Nervous System, Biosignals, Neurosurgery.

Outreach

Seeing Odors and Smelling Light - Multimodal Processing in Higher Order Brain Regions

Talk on my discovery of single neurons processing both smell and light -at the same time!

Magic in the Air - odor molecules, perception, and discrimitation

A talk on how we can study olfaction by looking into other models

Covid-19 & Anosmia – how SARS-CoV-2 attacks our olfactory system

A talk on the mechanism behind why many suffered from loss of smell during Covid-19

Anvendt manipulasjon - styring av hjerne-kropp-signaler ved bruk av magi

Et foredrag om hvordan forståelse av nervesystemet kan brukes i underholdning gjennom manipulasjon

Aversive learning consolidation in the amygdala and long-term changes in the piriform cortex in rodents due to odor stimulation

A talk on how learning changes neural activity in animals when it comes to smell

Sex hormone regulation and influence in neural plasticity as an effect of skill development and competetive behavior

A talk on how sex hormones influences our behavior, especially in competitive environments and during the development of a skill

Higher-order olfactory processing

Co-author - Conference poster - 2023

Magic in the air – hvordan sansene kan skape fortryllende opplevelser

Conference lecture - 2023

Luktesystemets gåter

Participation in radio or TV

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