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My professional pathway

•   During the last year of my Cognitive Science B.Sc. I spent a year abroad at MIT. There I studied computational models of cognition with Josh Tenenbaum.
•   I continued in the same research group with a Ph.D. in Computational Cognitive Science at MIT
•   I then did a postdoc at Stanford with Noah Goodman, focusing on probabilistic programming languages
•   After my postdoc, I founded Ought, a non-profit aimed at using machine learning to support thinking & reflection
•   Ought incubated Elicit, a public benefit company that's building an AI Research Assistant, with a mission to scale up good reasoning. We're a team of 12 now and have a few hundred thousand monthly active users.

My CogSci student experience

Why is Cognitive Science in Osnabrück a great place to study?
•   Interdisciplinary approach combining psychology, neuroscience, AI, and philosophy
•   Opportunities for international exchange, studies abroad
•   Amazing community, diverse minds

What did you specialise in during your studies?
I studied more or less everything. I was most intrigued by computer science, computational modeling, and philosophy.

Which skills from your degree programme have helped you the most in your professional life?
•   Analytical thinking & problem solving
•   Programming
•   Clear writing (from philosophy classes)

My advice for you

•   AI is going to change all fields; stay on top of what's happening in AI and make use of the latest tools
•   Get experience doing practical projects / internships / research early; you'll learn more than from courses
•   Build a personal board of advisors