Leonid Perlovsky

Dr. Leonid Perlovsky is a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and a Technical Advisor and Principal Research Physicist at the Air Force Research Laboratory. His research interests include computational intelligence and neural networks; mathematical modeling of the mind and brain including higher cognitive functions, consciousness, emotions; abilities for beautiful, sublime, music; evolution of languages, cognition and cultures.

He serves as Program Manager for DOD Semantic Web program and for several research projects. From 1985 to 1999 Chief Scientist at Nichols Research, a $0.5 B high-tech organization, leading the corporate research in intelligent systems, neural networks, sensor fusion, and data mining; previously, Professor at Novosibirsk University and New York University. He participated as a principal in commercial startups developing tools for natural language text understanding, biotechnology, and financial predictions. His financial company predicted the market crash following 9/11 a week before the event, apparently detecting illegal Al Qaeda trades, and later helped SEC tracking the perpetrators.

Dr. Perlovsky has delivered invited keynote and plenary talks, tutorial lectures at conferences and universities worldwide; has published about 60 papers in refereed scientific journals, 250 papers in conferences, authored 10 book chapters and three books, “Neural Networks and Intellect,” Oxford University Press 2001 (currently in the 3rd printing); “Neurodynamics of Higher-Level Cognition and Consciousness” (co-author R. Kozma), Springer 2007’ “Sapient Systems” (co-author R. Mayorga), Springer 2007. He leads an IEEE NNTC Task Force on The Mind and Brain, serves as Chair IEEE Boston Computational Intelligence Chapter, on several IEEE Committees, Organizing Committees for WCCI’06, IJCNN’07, Program Co-Chair for IJCNN’09, Program and General Chair for several IEEE conferences, Assistant Editor for “Transactions on Neural Networks,” Editor-at-large for “Natural Computations,” Editor-in-Chief for “Physics of Life Reviews.”

He's been interviewed on radio and TV about the workings of the human mind. Dr. Perlovsky has received prestigious National and International awards, including several Best Paper awards, IEEE Distinguished Member Award, Boston Section 2005; Dr. Charles E. Ryan Memorial Award for outstanding in-house scientific efforts and achievement 2007, Air Force Research Laboratory; International Neural Network Society Gabor Award, 2007; McLucas Award 2007 (the top scientific US Air Force award).