Ambassador Program
Sharing knowledge, building community.
Our Ambassadors are dedicated community members who are here to answer questions from potential students and even give virtual or in-person talks about our programs and their experience.
Ask about the student experience
Ambassadors can share their Academy experiences with clubs, universities, or community groups.
Understand what you'll learn
Ambassadors can guide you through what to expect and how to make the most of your learning experience.
Invite an Ambassador to speak
Host an Ambassador for an in-person or online session, tailored to your local context and preferred language.
Find an Ambassador to talk to
Connect with someone who has completed the program and can answer your questions directly.
Abdulrahman
Iremide Saliu
abdulrahman.iremide.saliu@neuromatch.io
Location: Prince Abubakar Audu Univeristy, Anyigba, Nigeria
Language: English
Abdulrahman Iremide Saliu is a First Class graduate of Human Physiology with a strong research focus on neuroscience, particularly understanding brain disorders through mechanistic and circuit-level approaches. He served as the Chapter President for the Youth Neurosicence Association of Nigeria (YNAN) and is the current General Secretary YNAN. He participated in the Neuromatch 2024 Cohort. His interests lie at the intersection of human physiology, AI, and data science, where he applies machine learning and data analysis to interrogate complex biomedical and neural datasets. He is actively building expertise toward a career in computational and translational neuroscience, with a long-term goal of contributing mechanism-driven, impactful research.
Afeez
Oladokun
afeez.oladokun@neuromatch.io
Location: Elizade University, Nigeria
Language: English
Afeez Oladokun is a neuroscience researcher and laboratory technologist at Elizade University in Nigeria. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Anatomy with a specialization in Neuroscience from Osun State University. A 2025 alum of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience course, Afeez gained hands-on experience in neural modeling and data analysis while collaborating with an international cohort of learners. He is passionate about promoting open, inclusive neuroscience education and helping students in underrepresented regions access global learning opportunities through Neuromatch.
Apollo
Yang
apollo.yang@neuromatch.io
Location: Imperial College, London, UK
Languages: English, Chinese
Apollo Yang is an MEng student at Imperial College London with a passion for neuroscience and neurotechnology. Having completed two Neuromatch Academy courses, he has adapted NMA content into workshops, organized public science events, and facilitated neurotechnology hackathons. Apollo is eager to share his Neuromatch experience and resources with students and researchers across the UK and China.
Celestine
Ilo
celestine.ilo@neuromatch.io
Location: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria
Languages: English, Igbo, Pidgin English
Celestine Ilo is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Nigeria and the National President of the Youth Neuroscience Association of Nigeria (YNAN). A 2025 alum of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience program, Celestine is passionate about showing other students that science can be done in a “dry lab,” using data and code to explore the brain. He now works to expand access to computational neuroscience education in Nigeria, inspiring others to see new possibilities in research and medicine.
Chathura
Ranasinghe
chathura.ranasinghe@neuromatch.io
Location: Florida, USA
Language: English
Chathura Ranasinghe is a former Neuromatch Academy Computational Neuroscience student whose experience in the 2021 program sparked his journey toward becoming a computational neuroscientist. Originally from Sri Lanka, Chathura faced limited opportunities to pursue this field locally but found encouragement and community through Neuromatch. His participation led to remote research collaborations in the U.S. and the Netherlands and inspired him to give back as a volunteer and Mentor with Neuromatch. Now based in Florida, he remains passionate about continuing his studies and helping others discover global learning opportunities in neuroscience. Read his Neuromatch story.
Gideon
Alex
gideon.alex@neuromatch.io
Location: University of Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria
Language: English
Gideon Alex is a Neuromatch Alumnus and Research Associate at the University of Port Harcourt. He previously served as the National President of the Youth Neuroscience Association of Nigeria. Over the past five years, he has led more than 30 Neuroscience outreaches across both urban and rural communities in Nigeria, advancing brain literacy and STEM education. As an Ambassador, he aims to strengthen global participation and help students thrive in the Academy.
Ignatius
Balayo
ignatius.balayo@neuromatch.io
Location: Busitema University, Uganda
Language: English
Ignatius Balayo is a Master’s student at Busitema University in Uganda and a graduate of the 2025 Computational Tools for Climate Science course. Ignatius is committed to helping students across African universities and underrepresented communities access life-changing opportunities, expand their skills, and join the global Neuromatch community.
Kareem
Taha
kareem.taha@neuromatch.io
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Language: Arabic, English
Kareem Taha is a Systems and Biomedical Engineering student at Cairo University and an alum of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience program. His experience in the course strengthened his technical and communication skills and deepened his interest in AI and neuroscience. He is eager to share his insights on how to navigate and thrive in Neuromatch Academy’s collaborative cohorts and to help other students, especially in Egypt, discover and benefit from Neuromatch’s accessible, hands-on learning opportunities.
Karim
Hassan
karim.hassan@neuromatch.io
Location: Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Languages: Arabic, English
Karim Hassan is an undergraduate student in Systems and Biomedical Engineering at Cairo University and an alum of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience program. He is passionate about sharing his NMA experience, helping students discover the program, and guiding them to maximize its resources and opportunities. As a Neuromatch Ambassador, Karim aims to expand the program’s reach across Egypt and connect students with the global computational neuroscience community.
Kuna
Fomboh
kuna.fomboh@neuromatch.io
Location: UK
Language: English
Kuna Fomboh is a Computer Science and AI professional and an alum of Neuromatch Academy’s NeuroAI course. Having benefited directly from Neuromatch’s teaching model and community, Kuna credits her experience in Nueromatch’s NeuroAI with rekindling her interest in pursuing a PhD and sharpening her research direction. As a Neuromatch Ambassador, she aims to help more learners discover the Academy, feel welcomed into the community, and confidently navigate their learning journey.
Mahmoud
Ashouri
mahmoud.ashouri@neuromatch.io
Location: Iran
Languages: English, Persian
Mahmoud Ashouri is a student at GMU and a former Neuromatch Academy student. He founded the Student Neuroscience Research Committee at BUMS, supporting research in areas like brain imaging and stroke. As a Neuromatch Ambassador, Mahmoud is passionate about giving back to the neuroscience community and helping students engage with NMA’s programs and resources.
Martín
Dutra
martin.Dutra@neuromatch.io
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay
Languages: English, Spanish
Martín Dutra is an Assistant Lecturer in Cognitive Computational Neuroscience at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay. A graduate of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience course and holder of a master’s degree in Cognitive Sciences, Martín is passionate about connecting students across disciplines in neuroscience, engineering, and psychology to computational approaches. He is excited to help expand Neuromatch’s reach in Uruguay and inspire more learners to join the global community.
Mehrnaz
Hosseinzadeh
mehrnaz.hosseinzadeh@neuromatch.io
Location: Iran
Languages: English, Persian
Mehrnaz Hosseinzadeh is a Research Assistant at Iran University of Medical Sciences and a long-time member of the Neuromatch community. She participated in the Computational Neuroscience course in 2020 and the Deep Learning course in 2021, later serving as a Teaching Assistant for multiple years and as Lead TA for Computational Neuroscience in 2025. Mehrnaz is passionate about mentoring students and supporting accessible, high-quality education in neuroscience.
MohammadFazel
Abdhaghighi
mohammadfazel.abdhaghighi@neuromatch.io
Location: Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Mazandaran, Iran
Languages: English, Persian
MohammadFazel Abdhaghighi is a student and research assistant at Babol Noshirvani University of Technology with experience mentoring students and organizing academic events. He completed the Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience course in 2025 and is eager to share the knowledge and resources he gained with others. As an ambassador, he aims to expand NMA’s reach and inspire more students in Iran and beyond to explore computational neuroscience. Read his Neuromatch story.
Peter
Ohue
peter.ohue@neuromatch.io
Location: Expert Education Centre, Ibadan, Nigeria
Language: English
Peter is the Director of Studies at Expert Education Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria. With a Ph.D. in Computational Statistics and a strong background in mathematics, statistics, psychology, and educational technology, he applies machine learning and AI to challenges in climate science, mental health, and motor control. A long-time collaborator to Neuromatch Academy, Peter is passionate about education and collaboration. He is happy to share his experiences with computational science, Neuromatch Academy, and being part of the Neuromatch community.
Reza
Rajabli
reza.rajabli@neuromatch.io
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Languages: English, French, Persian
Reza Rajabli is a PhD candidate at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, researching deep learning models to predict future cognitive decline from brain images. He has served as a TA for Neuromatch Academy courses in 2024 and 2025. Deeply aligned with Neuromatch’s mission to democratize science, Reza is committed to supporting global scientific collaboration and helping learners from underrepresented regions access high-quality neuroscience and AI education.
Ruslan
Kurmashev
ruslan.kurmashev@neuromatch.io
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Languages: English, Russian, Kazakh
Ruslan Kurmashev is a student at Munster Technological University with a background in medicine and computational biology. As a researcher working on autism diagnostics using genetics, microbiome, and AI, he brings a unique perspective to computational neuroscience. As a Neuromatch Ambassador, Ruslan aims to connect learners with NMA opportunities, promote accessible education, and foster global collaboration in neuroscience and computational biology.
Selva
Maran
selva.maran@neuromatch.io
Location: Bangalore, India
Language: English
Selva Maran is a Lead Scientist at iBrains Centre for Precision Psychiatry and Neuroscience in Bangalore, India, with a PhD in Computational Neuroscience from LSUHSC, New Orleans, and postdoctoral experience at Emory University. He has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications and works on projects in NeuroAI, deep learning, computational neuroscience, and computational psychiatry. As a Neuromatch Academy mentor and volunteer, Selva is passionate about supporting open science, global outreach, and international collaboration in neuroscience.
Sherif
Atanda
sherif.atanda@neuromatch.io
Location: Nigeria
Language: English
Sherif Atanda holds a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology and Climate Science from a leading university in Nigeria. During the recent Computational Tools for Climate Science course, Abdulrahman actively encouraged participation among his departmental colleagues and provided ongoing motivation to help ensure strong course completion. In his role as an Ambassador, he aims not only to drive registrations but also to support learners throughout the program so they successfully complete the course and apply their new skills in practice. Sherif is eager to contribute to Neuromatch’s mission of delivering accessible, high-quality education that empowers learners globally.
Srikavya
Pasumarthy
srikavya.pasumarthy@neuromatch.io
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Language: English
Srikavya Pasumarthy is a fourth-year medical student and budding neurologist at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, with interests in vascular, neuroendovascular, and critical care neurology. Her research focuses on traumatic brain injury and the utility of inter-facility transfer. She is passionate about expanding access to Neuromatch programs and supporting learners interested in neuroscience.
Tolulope
Gbayisomore
tolulope.gbayisomore@neuromatch.io
Location: University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
Languages: English, Pidgin, Yoruba
Tolulope is a neuroscience researcher and MSc student at the University of Medical Science, studying non-pharmacological approaches to dementia. A graduate of Neuromatch Academy’s Computational Neuroscience course, he is passionate about open science and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Tolu is happy to share his experiences with computational neuroscience, being a student of Neuromatch Academy, and volunteering with Neuromatch.
Tolulope
Oladele
tolulope.oladele@neuromatch.io
Location: University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria
Languages: English, Yoruba
Tolulope Oladele is a Neuromatch Academy alumnus and Teaching Assistant, as well as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo State, Nigeria. He is passionate about guiding students from underrepresented regions to access Neuromatch courses and gain hands-on experience in computational neuroscience and NeuroAI. As a Neuromatch Ambassador, Tolulope aims to help students explore career paths, deepen their understanding of neuroscience and AI, and connect with the global NMA community.
Here to help
Our Ambassadors are scientists, students, and educators from around the world who share a common passion: making computational science accessible and inclusive.
Whether you’re a prospective Neuromatch or Climatematch Academy student or a university club looking for a speaker, you can connect directly with them. Each Ambassador brings unique expertise and lived experience, offering a personal window into the global Neuromatch community.
