Hello, I'm Joelle!

MSc student in Neural Systems & Computation at ETH Zurich & University of Zurich. I'm interested in understanding what makes humans special: their brain — and how computational tools can help us decode it.

Joelle Faybishenko

About

I'm a first-generation Californian, figure skater, and aspiring scientist currently pursuing my Master's in Neural Systems and Computation at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. I'm curious about the mechanisms behind the mind — what contributes to thought and perception, and how we can use those discoveries to advance technology and algorithms.

Previously, I completed my BS in Computer Science (specialized in Bioinformatics) with a minor in Cognitive Science at UC San Diego. During my time there, I co-led Triton NeuroTech from 20 members to over 200, captained the UCSD Figure Skating team to the National Intercollegiate Finals, and worked across labs at the Salk Institute, UCSD, and a biotech startup.

Currently, I'm a research intern at the Grewe Lab (INI, UZH & ETH) investigating world model representations in continual reinforcement learning, while continuing computational work with the Gage Lab at the Salk Institute on transposable element expression in Alzheimer's disease. Outside the lab, I'm on the organizing committee for Colosseum at ETH Entrepreneur Club, where we run debates, hackathons, and conferences across Europe.

Education

ETH Zurich & University of Zurich

MSc in Neural Systems and Computation · Feb 2025 – Dec 2026

University of California, San Diego

BS in Computer Science, Bioinformatics · Minor in Cognitive Science · Sep 2020 – Mar 2024

Revelle College Provost Honors

Experience

Grewe Lab — Research Intern

INI, UZH & ETH Zurich · Feb 2025 – Present

Investigating world model representations and imagined trajectories in continual reinforcement learning agents trained on sequential MiniGrid environments.

Gage Lab — Computational Researcher

Salk Institute for Biological Studies · 2023 – Present

Developing simulation frameworks to benchmark transposable element quantification tools in RNA-seq, with application to Alzheimer's disease.

CRISP-HR Therapeutics — Research Intern

2023

Contributed to long-range genomic rewrite/replace editing research; co-author on bioRxiv preprint.

de Sa Lab — Research Assistant

UC San Diego · 2022 – 2024

Data collection, signal processing, and classification for zinc dry electrode characterization for wearable EEG. Published at IEEE EMBC 2024.

Knight Lab — Research Assistant

UC San Diego · 2021 – 2022

Built a QIIME2 plugin for phylogenetic classification of human gut microbiome samples relative to animal gut microbiomes.

Organizations

Triton NeuroTech — Co-President

UC San Diego · 2020 – 2024

Co-led the club from 20 to over 200 members. Directed interdisciplinary BCI projects, organized workshops and competitions, and represented the club at international neurotechnology competitions.

UCSD Figure Skating — Team Captain

UC San Diego · 2020 – 2024

Captained the team to the National Intercollegiate Figure Skating Finals.

Colosseum — Organizing Committee

ETH Entrepreneur Club · 2026 – Present

Organizing debates, hackathons, and conferences across Europe.

TanzQuotient

ETH Zurich · 2025 – Present

Publications, Presentations & Press

de Sa Lab

Development and Characterization of Zinc Dry Electrodes for Wearable Electrophysiology

CRISP-HR Therapeutics

Methods and techniques enabling multi-kilobase long-range genomic rewrite/replace editing

The Gage Lab

Triton NeuroTech

AeroMus Competition Video 2023 (2nd Place)

Oz-Speller Competition Video 2022 (2nd Place)

NeuroTech Conference: Your Brain on DALL-E 2023

NeuroTech Conference: Oz-Speller 2023

NeuroTech Cup: Dynamic Stopping P300 Speller with Variational Bayesian Neural Network 2021 (2nd Place)

Awards