Jens F. Tillmann
Neuroscientist · Computational Behavioral Analysis · Experimental Systems
My research sits at the intersection of behavioral neuroscience, neurodegeneration, and machine learning, with an emphasis on interpretable models of behavior, closed-loop/behavior-dependent experiments, and open-source scientific software. I currently work at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn.
Research
Behavioral quantification
High-throughput behavioral analysis with ML-driven segmentation, tracking, and representation learning.
Closed-loop experimentation
Behavior-dependent experimental control and reproducible Python-first research workflows.
Helmholtz AI (Project Funding 2024)
Developing multimodal machine-learning models to predict network states during behavior, learning, and sleep — enabling closed-loop, state-targeted perturbations.
Software
Selected open-source projects and tools.
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DeepLabStream
— closed-loop behavioral experiments using markerless posture detection.
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A-SOiD
— active-learning platform for expert-guided behavior discovery.
Publications
Selected papers (see ORCID for the full list).
- Tillmann JF, Hsu AI, Schwarz MK, Yttri EA (2024). A-SOiD, an active-learning platform for expert-guided, data-efficient discovery of behavior. Nature Methods. DOI · Code
- Schweihoff JF, Loshakov M, Pavlova I, Kück L, Ewell LA, Schwarz MK (2021). DeepLabStream enables closed-loop behavioral experiments using deep learning-based markerless, real-time posture detection. Communications Biology. DOI · Code
Public outreach & SciComm
Selected public outreach activities and talks.
Outreach
- Pint of Science Bonn. City Coordinator (Bonn) for the world-wide, public science festival bringing research to pubs. Team page
Selected talks
- Identifying patterns of behavior with artificial intelligence. Public talk at Pint of Science Bonn ("Bridging the Gap between Brain and Behavior: The iBehave Perspective", May 2023). Event page
- F*ckUp Night: When failure makes you a better scientist. Public outreach event (iBehave NRW, Sep 2023). Event page
- Licht, Hirn, Action! Wie KI uns hilft, hinter die Kulissen des Verhaltens zu blicken. Short talk as part of the Science-Art project "Collective Neurogenesis" at Deutsches Museum Bonn (Feb 2025). Uni Bonn news