Mehdi Adibi is a Research Fellow at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, the School of Psychological Sciences, and the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), Monash University. He established the Neurodigit Laboratory in 2020, developing an independent and interdisciplinary research program focused on neural coding, sensory processing, and perceptual decision-making.

His research is supported by competitive funding, including an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), an ARC Discovery Project, and NHMRC fellowships and grants. His work integrates experimental neuroscience and quantitative modelling to understand how sensory information is transformed into perception and behaviour across multiple scales and systems.

His contributions have been recognised through national awards, including the A.W. Campbell Award from the Australian Neuroscience Society (2022) and the Mark Rowe Award (2015), alongside additional institutional and community recognition for research excellence and mentorship.

He held an NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship at the University of New South Wales and the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Italy. He received his PhD in Neuroscience (Psychology) from UNSW in 2014 and holds degrees in engineering and mathematics, providing a strong foundation in signal processing, systems analysis, and computational modelling.

The Neurodigit Laboratory is embedded within the broader neuroscience ecosystem at Monash, including the Brain Mapping and Modulation Program at the Turner Institute and the Neuroscience Program at BDI. The lab works closely with the Mark Bellgrove Group and contributes to collaborative research initiatives while maintaining a distinct experimental and computational research direction.

The research of the Adibi Laboratory focuses on the neural and computational principles underlying sensory processing and perceptual decision-making in dynamic environments. A central aim is to understand how sensory information is encoded, transformed, and accumulated across neural circuits to guide behaviour under uncertainty.

The lab adopts an integrative, multi-species approach, combining parallel experimental paradigms in rodents and humans to link neural activity to perception across levels of organisation. This framework enables direct comparison between circuit-level mechanisms and cognitive processes, and supports the development of unified models of sensory-guided decision-making.

In animal models, the lab employs advanced electrophysiological and circuit-level techniques, including juxtacellular and extracellular array recordings, local field potentials (LFPs), and optical methods such as miniscope imaging and optogenetics, to probe neural activity from single cells to population dynamics in awake, behaving animals. In humans, psychophysics and non-invasive electrophysiology (EEG) are used to study large-scale brain activity and the temporal dynamics of sensory processing and evidence accumulation.

A key direction of the lab is to bridge neural mechanisms across spatial and temporal scales, from cellular activity to network-level dynamics and behaviour. This includes investigating how excitation–inhibition balance shapes neural computations underlying perceptual decisions, as well as how sensory representations evolve over time during evidence accumulation.

In parallel, the lab develops experimental platforms and analytical tools for high-resolution behavioural and neural data acquisition, including novel tactile stimulation systems and integrated experimental pipelines. These approaches support both fundamental research and emerging applications in neurotechnology, intelligent sensing, and sensory rehabilitation.

The Adibi Laboratory welcomes enquiries from prospective Honours, Masters, and PhD students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, particularly those interested in interdisciplinary research at the interface of neuroscience, computation, and behaviour.

If you are interested in undertaking a research period in research group (Neurodigit lab), please contact the lab head, Mehdi Adibi.

The lab currently has projects suitable for all levels of student, including Honours, Masters and PhD. Enquiries from potential students and postdocs are always welcome. Experience in electrophysiology, electronics, computer science, psychophysics, programming (preferably Python or Matlab) is desirable. However, we value motivation and enthusiasm more important than experience.

Mehdi Adibi has maintained sustained engagement in science outreach and education, with a long-standing commitment to promoting neuroscience and STEM among school students. He has been an active participant in the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools (formerly Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools) program since 2010, contributing through partnerships with multiple secondary schools, including Campbell High School (ACT), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College (NSW), and more recently schools in Victoria and the Northern Territory.

His outreach activities include delivering seminars, workshops, and mentoring programs aimed at fostering scientific literacy, quantitative reasoning, and early engagement with neuroscience and research. These activities have involved diverse student cohorts, including regional and high-achieving programs, and are designed to encourage participation in STEM pathways and research careers.

In addition to ongoing school engagement, he has contributed to broader science outreach initiatives, including participation in the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ANU), and delivery of specialised workshops and seminars in neuroscience and systems science. Earlier contributions include workshops in physics and engineering and participation in youth-focused science and cultural programs.

Through these activities, he contributes to strengthening STEM education pipelines and supporting early-stage interest in science, particularly in neuroscience and data-driven research.

My teaching focuses on quantitative methods, experimental design, and data-driven analysis in neuroscience and psychology.

At Monash, I have contributed across multiple units and levels, including:

• Lecturer (PSY2041, 2025): delivered core topics in probability, statistical inference, and modelling to large psychology cohorts
• Course development (2024–2025): designed and delivered Programming Methods in Science, a 12-session course addressing gaps in computational and analytical skills
• Research project supervision (PHY3990, 2022–present): supervised and assessed student projects, including experimental design, data analysis, and thesis writing
• Workshop-based teaching (PHY3012, PHY3111, BMS5004): developed and delivered structured sessions in psychophysics, electrophysiology, and data analysis

My teaching integrates:

• experimental methods (psychophysics, electrophysiology)
• quantitative analysis and modelling
• programming and data workflows

I also contribute to student development through supervision of Honours and Masters research projects, supporting students through project design, analysis, and scientific communication.