We are excited to welcome Prof. Jakob Macke to the ELLIS Institute Tübingen as Principal Investigator and Hector Endowed Fellow. A central figure in the Tübingen machine learning and computational neuroscience ecosystem, Jakob will help shape the research direction at the ELLIS Institute Tübingen, strengthening both the local and European research landscape in AI for Science.
- “I am delighted to join the ELLIS Institute Tübingen to help build the next generation of machine learning methods to power AI for science — methods that turn complex data into genuine scientific understanding. I am excited to use these methods to tackle tough scientific problems in neuroscience and beyond”, says Jakob.
- “Jakob Macke is one of Europe’s leading researchers in machine learning for scientific discovery and a key contributor to simulation-based inference, with major impact across disciplines from neuroscience to physics. His scientific leadership, collaborative spirit, and central role in Tübingen’s AI ecosystem make his appointment a major success for the ELLIS Institute Tübingen and the broader European machine learning community”, says Bernhard Schölkopf, Scientific Director of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen.
- “Jakob is a key member of the European machine learning ecosystem, combining scientific vision, leadership, and a strong commitment to strengthening Europe’s position in AI research. Retaining him in Tübingen and within the European research landscape is a significant achievement. His continued presence will be of enormous benefit to the ELLIS Institute Tübingen, the University of Tübingen, and the broader machine learning community”, says Managing Director Tobias Leismann.
More info about Jakob Macke:
Jakob is Professor for Machine Learning in Science at the University of Tübingen within the Cluster of Excellence “Machine Learning: New Perspectives for the Sciences” and the Tübingen AI Center. His research is dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery through machine learning and artificial intelligence. He develops computational methods that help scientists interpret complex empirical data and transform them into meaningful scientific insight.
A key application focus of his work lies in the neurosciences, where he builds data-driven mechanistic models of neuronal function to better understand how brain networks process sensory information and generate intelligent behaviour. His approach is strongly interdisciplinary and relies on close collaboration with experimental and computational researchers across disciplines.
At the Institute, he will lead the group Machine Learning in Science and work on developing probabilistic AI methods for scientific understanding, with applications in neuroscience and the physical sciences.
In addition to his new role at the ELLIS Institute Tübingen, Jakob is Director of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience and a Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence.
His academic path spans leading institutions across Europe: after studying mathematics at the University of Oxford, he completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Gatsby Unit at University College London, followed by a Bernstein Fellowship in Tübingen. He later led a Max Planck Research Group at the Caesar Research Centre in Bonn and held professorships at TU Darmstadt and TU Munich.
We are happy to welcome him to the ELLIS Institute Tübingen and look forward to his contributions at the interface of machine learning, scientific discovery, and neuroscience!