About us

The BONSAI Lab is a research group at RIT led by principal investigator Richard D. Lange. Dr. Lange is jointly affiliated with the Computer Science Department and the Cognitive Science PhD Program, and he is affiliated with the Center for Vision Science.

Research Vision: Our goal is to bring together the "Best Of NeuroScience and AI":

• What do we mean by the best of neuroscience? We look at the brain through the lens of computational cognitive neuroscience: we view the brain as the best known general-purpose information-processor, problem-solver, and learner. Drawing inspiration from neuroscience and cognitive science means two things: first, building on abstract computational theories and principles of brain function, and second, appreciating the limitations of bounded agents acting in the real world.
• What do we mean by the best of AI? Many recent advancements in AI and machine learning are powered by deep neural networks. These systems just seem to work at scale even if their creators don't fully understand and can't fully control them. We aim to bring more rigorous mathematical principles and human-like cognition to AI.

How to get involved

For prospective PhD students (last updated September 2026):

The lab is recruiting two PhD students for a Fall 2027 start! Students will be co-advised by Alex Ororbia and the NAC Lab. We are recruiting one PhD student to affiliate with the GCCIS PhD program and one to affiliate with the CogSci PhD program. It is possible to indicate interest in both with a single application.

For current RIT BS/MS/PhD students:

• Anyone can get involved by coming to lab meetings, joining the Slack, etc.
• Pathways for BS and MS students to get involved in research include independent study, a capstone project, or a thesis project. An independent study is a deep dive into a topic that is not otherwise covered in another RIT course. The focus is typically on reading to survey some sub-topic in the literature, plus a small amount of coding to replicate existing work / demonstrate understanding. Typically, independent studies do not involve significant original work or research.
  Independent studies are typically arranged about a semester in advance. Topics are always a compromise between student interests and advisor interests, and finding a good topic requires one or two face-to-face meetings with Prof. Lange. An independent study ideally translates to a capstone or thesis project later, but this is not a requirement. Likewise, a capstone or thesis project does not require an independent study first, but it helps.
  Talk to your academic advisor to make a plan, and find more information about IS/Capstone/Thesis tracks on the RIT website.
• Check out our informal list of project ideas for incoming students to get a sense of the kinds of things we think would make a good project for a MS or upper-level BS student.