2007 - habilitation (Docent) in informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava.
2014 - Professor of informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava.
Work experience
10-12/1998 - Fulbright research scholar at the Department of Computer Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, neural nets research group led by Prof. Risto Miikkulainen
09/2000 - 08/2002 - research fellow at the Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, cognitive science lab led by Dr. Ping Li
09/2002 - 05/2003 - visiting assistant professor, Department of Psychology, University of Richmond
06/2003 - until present, Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava
09/2005 - 2/2006 - Humboldt research fellow at the Department of Computational Linguistics, Universitaet des Saarlandes, psycholinguistics lab led by Prof. Matt Crocker
2023-2025 - KEGA 022UK-4/2023: Towards excellence of middle-European interdisciplinary master programme in cognitive science (PI) - educational project
2022-2025 - twinning project Horizon Europe 101079338: Towards Excellence in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at a Slovak University (TERAIS) (coordinator)
2022-2026 - APVV-21-0105: Trustworthy human–robot and therapist–patient interaction in virtual reality (PI at Comenius U., in collaboration with Institute of Measurement Science of Slov. Academy of Sciences, and Faculty of Electrical Eng., Technical U. Košice)
2020-2024 - H2020 952215: Foundations of Trustworthy AI - Integrating Reasoning, Learning and Optimization (PI at Comenius U.)
2018-2020 - VEGA 1/0798/18: Learning of a robotic system in a human-robot interaction (PI at Comenius U.)
2017-2021 - APVV-16-0202: Enhancing cognition and motor rehabilitation using mixed reality (PI at Comenius U., in collaboration with Institute of Measurement Science of Slov. Academy of Sciences, and Faculty of Electrical Eng., Technical U. Košice)
2017-2019 - 002UK-2/2016 (Ministry of education... SR): Going Global: Increasing the quality of education at Comenius University in Bratislava through internationalization - educational project
2016-2018 - KEGA 017UK-4/2016: Development of middle-European interdisciplinary master programme cognitive science in English (PI at Comenius U.) - educational project
2014-2016 - VEGA 1/0898/14: From sensory-motor processes to higher cognition: Computational modeling of mental development in an embodied cognitive agent (PI, at Comenius U.)
2013-2017 - APVV-0668-12: Brain-computer interface with robot-assisted training for rehabilitation (in collaboration with Institute of Measurement Science of Slovak Academy of Sciences, and Faculty of Medicine, Comenius U.)
2013-2015 - VEGA 1/0503/13: Grounded cognition paradigm, interaction between perception and action in the brain–computer interface (in collaboration with Institute of Measurement science of Slovak Academy of Sciences)
2013-2015 - KEGA 076UK-4/2013: Development of the middle-European interdisciplinary master programme Cognitive science (PI at Comenius U.) - educational project
2013-2015 - ASFEU 001/2012/4.2/OPV: Preparation of master programmes in mathematics and informatics at FMPI Comenius University in English language (educational project funded by EU)
li>2011-2013 - VEGA 1/0439/11: Constructivist modelling of early cognitive development in a simulated embodied agent (PI, at Comenius U.)
2010-2012 - VEGA 2/0019/10: New methods of classification and prediction in biosignal analysis and in biologically inspired computer vision (in collaboration with at Slovak Academy of Sciences, SAS)
2009-2011 - VEGA 1/0602/10: Philosophy of fundamental paradigms in cognitive science (at Comenius U.)
2009-2011 - KEGA 3/7300/09: Cognitive Science - Middle European Interdisciplinary Master Programme in Cognitive Science (deputy of PI, at Comenius U.)
2008-2010 - VEGA 1/0361/08: Modeling language as a complex system with self-organization (PI, at Comenius U.)
2006-2008 - VEGA 1/3612/06: Cognitive science and traditional philosophical theories (at Comenius U.)
2005-2007 - VEGA 1/2045/05: Modelling complex systems using neural networks with focus on linguistics (PI, at Comenius U.)
2003-2005 - VEGA 2/4026/04: Analysis of EEG using methods of mathematical statistics, artificial neural networks and nonlinear dynamics (at SAS)
2000-2002 - NSF BCS-9975249: A self-organizing neural network model of language acquisition (U. of Richmond, VA, USA)
1999-2000 - VEGA 22/5088/2000: The use of methods of self-organization and dynamical systems in signal analysis using neural networks (at SAS)
1996-1998 - VEGA 22/3430/1998: Flexible architectures in applications of artificial neural nets for signal processing (at SAS)
Introduction to computational intelligence (2008-present)
Introduction to artificial intelligence (2014-2015)
Introduction to cognitive science (2002, University of Richmond)
Connectionist modelling of cognitive proceses (2002, University of Richmond)
Introduction to statistical methods in psychology (2002, University of Richmond)
Professional activities/service
local coordinator (of Comenius University) for the Middle European Interdisciplinary Master Programme in Cognitive Science (MEi:CogSci) (since 2007)
contact person for CEEPUS and Erasmus mobility programmes related to cognitive science (since 2006)
chair of examining boards for state exams in master programmes: Applied Informatics and Cognitive Science (since 2013)
member of the scientific board of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (since 2011)
member of the scientific board of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, STU in Bratislava (since 2019)
member of the panel in Slovak Grant Agency for Science (VEGA) (2008-2016)
member of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Neural Network Technical Committee (2013-2015)
member of the 16th working group (for informatics, automation and telecommunications) of the Accreditation Committee in Slovakia (2014-2019)
ad hoc reviewer for international journals (IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, Frontiers in Neurorobotics, ...) and international conferences (CogSci, IJCNN, ICANN, ESANN, ...)
board member of the Center for Artificial Intelligence (since 2020)
head of Department of Applied Informatics (2015-2022)
General chair of International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) 2020, 2021; editor of the proceedings
ad hoc member of the working group of Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (since 2020)
Awards
1998 - Fulbright research scholarship
2005 - Humboldt research scholarship
2004 - Peter Fedor Prize (from former Jan Hus Foundation) - for excellent results in connectionist models of language acquisition
2010 - Donation from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation - for starting experimental research related to cognitive science
2018 – bronze medal from the dean, FMFI UK Bratislava – for committed work in building the faculty and spreading its good name
2021 - Rector's award - for development of the master programme in cognitive science (within MEi:CogSci consortium)
2023 – silver medal from the dean, FMFI UK – for committed work in building the faculty and spreading its good name
Organisation of scientific events
2021 – general chair, International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN), 300 participants, Bratislava (online)
2008, 2012, 2018 – general chair, MEi:CogSci conference in Bratislava, 140 participants
2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023 – general chair, Cognition and Artificial Life (Kognícia a umelý život, KUZ), Czech-Slovak conference, 40-50 participants
Membership in professional organisations / networks
Cognitive Science Society
2nd European Network for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems, Interaction and Robotics (2009-2012)