Matthew Balcarras

**** ** **.

Delta, BC V*K *M*

Tel: 905-***-****

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-balcarras/9/6a4/932 E-mail: acp2x0@r.postjobfree.com

LIFE SCIENCE & RESEARCH PROFESSIONAL

BIOTECHNOLOGY / LIFE SCIENCES / PHARMA / HEALTH

Strategic leader with excellent interpersonal skills who builds and maintains strong alliances to drive

complex projects to successful completion. Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new environments

and technologies, and to assimilate and distill large amounts of information. Extensive experience

working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds with varying skillsets. Reputation as a

resourceful team player working with integrity and professionalism to earn respect, inspire cooperation

and exceed expectations.

Key Skills:

• Stakeholder & Partner Relationship

• Strategic Planning & Project Management Building

• •

Research Program Initiation & Management Leadership & Mentoring

• •

Statistical Data Analysis Organization & Priority-Setting

• •

Written & Verbal Communication Creative Thinking & Problem Solving

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

YORK UNIVERSITY, Toronto, ON 2011 to June 2015

Doctoral Student, Department of Biology (Neuronal Basis of Attention and Decision-Making)

Conduct research into basic brain mechanisms underlying attention and decision-making; collaborate with

neurosurgeon to collect data from brains of epileptic patients with intra-cranial electrode implantation.

• Successfully developed computational models to assess mechanisms underlying individual choices in

incentive-based decision making by using large datasets and high-performance computing techniques.

• Clearly communicate complex ideas through public speaking by considering audience and tailoring

message to suit either highly informed scientific audiences or new learners and students.

• Adhered to highest ethical standards by undergoing Ethics certification for work with human subjects.

• Enhanced learning of undergraduate honours student by designing / overseeing project; directed

hands-on work, guided research learning, set goals and benchmarks, and provided feedback.

Lab Director / Teaching Assistant

Oversaw Teaching Assistants providing guidance to biology undergraduates; organized and led weekly

meetings, and dealt with scheduling issues, problems with students, and other issues as required.

• Drove student success by leading tutorials of up to 40 students to explain, clarify, and elaborate on in-

lecture material taught by course director; also mark essays / exams, and provide student feedback.

FOCUS FOUNDATION OF BC, Langley, BC 2007 to 2008

Youth Worker

Worked closely with eight to sixteen high-school aged students, building therapeutic relationships by

providing transportation to school, mentoring, tutoring, and participation in sports.

Page !2 of 3, Tel: 905-***-**** acp2x0@r.postjobfree.com

• Facilitated education / achievements of youth struggling in traditional school scenarios by providing

support in areas of mental health, social skills, and behaviour.

FOCUS FOUNDATION OF BC – Continued

• Gained new skills by undergoing non-violent crisis intervention training and working with community

stakeholders such as probation officers, foster families, Child & Youth Services, and social workers.

WEST ABBOTSFORD MENNONITE CHURCH, Abbotsford, BC 2006 to 2007

Associate Pastor

Undertook varied responsibilities including writing and organizing instructional material, and occasional

religious teaching.

• Enhanced musical programming by organizing volunteers to play and teach music to youth, planning

and leading music for congregation, and developing catalogue of musical resources.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. (Neuroscience), York University, Toronto, ON 2015

Graduate Diploma (Neuroscience), York University, Toronto, ON 2013

Master of Science (Philosophy), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK 2009

Bachelor of Arts (Honours – Interdisciplinary Studies), St. Stephen’s University, St. Stephen, 2006

NB

AWARDS

NSERC-CREATE Trainee, 2012 to 2014

Best Poster Award, Attention and Learning Conference, San Diego, CA 2013

York Graduate Scholarship, York University, Toronto, ON 2011

AFFILIATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS

Member, Centre for Vision Research / Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, 2011 to Present

York University, Toronto, ON

Member, Canadian Association for Neuroscience 2012 to Present

Member, Society for Neuroscience 2012 to Present

Committee Member / Worship Leader, Community Mennonite Church, Stouffville, 2013 to 2015

ON

Student Representative, NSERC-CREATE Steering Committee 2012 to 2014

British Philosophical Association 2009 to 2012

Cognitive Science Society 2011 to 2012

PhD Student Selection Committee Member, Philosophy Department, York 2011 to 2012

University, Toronto, ON

Volunteer, Science Rendezvous, York University in the community, Toronto, ON 2013 to 2014

Page !3 of 3, Tel: 905-***-**** acp2x0@r.postjobfree.com

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Balcarras, M., T. Womelsdorf (2015). Context specific learning is captured by hierarchically structured

model-free reinforcement learning. Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making Workshop; Edmonton,

AB: June 7-10.

Balcarras, M., O. Abid, T. Womelsdorf. (2014). Identification of context enables use of model-based

learning strategies in value-based decision making. Society for Neuroscience annual conference;

Washington D.C.: Nov. 14-19.

Ardid, S., M. Balcarras, T. Womelsdorf. (2014). “Adaptive learning” as a mechanistic candidate for

reaching optimal task-set representations flexibly. Organization for Computational Neuroscience (CNS)

annual meeting; Quebec City: July 26-31.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Moving from model-free to model-based RL in a

probabilistic learning environment: a generalized hierarchical reinforcement learning model. Society for

Neuroscience annual conference; San Diego: Nov. 9-13.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, D. Kaping, S. Everling, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Reinforcement learning predicts

value-driven attentional selection in a foraging task. Learning to attend, attending to learn workshop; San

Diego: Nov. 6-7.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Attentional selection during reinforcement learning in

feature space is driven by an interaction between value and policy systems. Reinforcement Learning and

Decision Making Workshop; Princeton, NJ: Oct. 25-27.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, D. Kaping, S. Everling, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Attentional selection during

reinforcement learning in feature space is driven by a tradeoff between value and policy systems. Third

International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making; Paris, France: May 29-30.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, D. Kaping, S. Everling, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Attentional selection is driven by

reinforcement learning during foraging in the macaque. Canadian Association for Neuroscience annual

conference; Toronto, ON: May 21-24.

Balcarras, M., S. Ardid, D. Kaping, S. Everling, T. Womelsdorf. (2013). Model-free reinforcement learning

predicts attentional selection during foraging in the macaque. COSYNE annual conference; Salt Lake

City, UT: Feb. 28-Mar. 3.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Matlab / Illustrator / Peripheral Device Interface Development / Touchscreen Applications / Experimental

Design and Execution / Algorithms / Model Optimization / Parallel and Cluster Computing / Database

Use and Management

Contact this candidate