Vacasa

Beginning before birth, human development takes place deeply embedded within a biobehavioral system with other conspecifics. The attachment bond that forms between the highly altricial infant and its caregiver not only ensures the infant's survival but is the critical context for the brain development that underpins executive function and self-regulation. Emerging research identifies how infant-caregiver neurobiological synchrony between helps shape this development and how early experiences marked by deprivation, adversity, and trauma influence mental and physical health across the lifespan. In this talk, Dr. Waters will discuss the neurobiology of attachment, the ways in which early experience gets under the skin, and what we can do about it.

Translating human emotions into the language of neurons is one of the fundamental challenges in affective neuroscience and critical for understanding the neuronal basis of many mental illnesses. But we currently have no quantitative understanding of how emotions emerge from the activity of neural networks in the brain. Capturing the essence of emotions with computational methods might seem like an oxymoron given lay conceptions of emotions as irrational forces that inflexibly bias behavior away from rationality. However, it is increasingly clear that the neural circuits mediating emotion and decision making are highly intertwined. After decades of research suggesting the amygdala mainly contributes to emotion and simpler forms of associative learning, researchers are just beginning to explore the computational boundaries of amygdala function. The emerging perspective, which Dr. Costa will discuss, is that the computational goals of emotional circuits in the brain are much richer than simply identifying things as good or bad.

Dr. Vinny Costa is an assistant professor in Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and in the Division of Neuroscience of the with the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Dr. Costa's research is focused on using computational approaches from reinforcement learning and decision making to understand the function of the mesolimbic circuits in emotion, cognition, and disease. To do this he takes a multidisciplinary approach combining computational modeling of behavior, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and chemogenetic methodologies in rhesus macaques and humans.

From an early age, humans learn that objects can be sorted into meaningful orderings. This might be on the basis of an obvious physical feature (like "size") or something more subtle and subjective (like "cost" or "preference"). A particular cognitive skill arises from this understanding: the ability to perform a transitive inference. Although long studied as a facet of human intelligence, many other species are also able to make this inference. When considering several different experimental manipulations, the best explanation for transitive inference in these species is a cognitive representation of order that can be reasoned about and manipulated as though it possesses spatial properties. This cognitive faculty has deep evolutionary roots that predate the talent for mathematical and linguistic abstraction that humans often take for granted. Simulations using a computational model that embodies this theory suggest new directions for the study of this fundamental cognitive mechanism.

Registration through Eventbrite [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pdx-women-in-tech-pdxwit-may-happy-hour-tickets-59611176634] is required to gain entry to this event

Join us for May Happy Hour at Vacasa!

PDXWIT is looking forward to seeing you at Vacasa for our next happy hour! The theme for this month is Accessibility in Technology. The conversation starters to keep the networking flowing will be “How can tech be more accessible?” and “What does an accessible tech environment mean to you?”

While the event is primarily intended for networking, we will have a short segment at 5:30 to share important announcements and showcase some individuals in our community.

An employee of Vacasa will provide an introduction to the company and share open job opportunities.

Ilana Davis, Creative Director at Ilana Davis LLC, will do a lightning talk titled, “Designing for Inclusion.”

Tasha Zuniga, Full Stack Javascript Developer, will talk about fonts and how to make them accessible.

During the event, we’ll have more to do than free-form networking:

An Activity Table where people can get creative. This is a fantastic way to meet others if large groups are not your thing. If you have trouble finding it, look for Meg Aul, our Event Activities Director.

Table Topics to help break the ice.

A section for job seekers and our sponsors who are hiring, to ensure people get connected.

Agenda:

4:30 p.m. - Doors open

5:30 p.m. - Introductions, announcements + speaking segments

6:30 p.m. - Event ends

Event FAQ

Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms?

A: Yes

Q: Is the space ADA accessible?

A: Yes

Q: Will there be food and drink at this event?

A: Yes

Q: What is the parking situation?

A: No onsite parking

Q: Is there any special information that might help me find the entrance?

A: Front doors lock at 4:30 p.m. Event managers will be on-hand to let guests into the space and up the elevators to the 5th floor event space.

Q: Is there secured bike parking?

A: No

Q: Should I consider using public transportation?

A: 2 hour parking is typically available in the neighborhood in the afternoon. Paid parking ends at 7pm.

Q: Can I bring my dog?

A: No, we ask that you leave your furry friend home. We do have a dog friendly office and pets are frequently brought to the office. We do not allow pets from non-Vacasa employees during events unless they are service animals.

Purpose:

PDXWIT is a community-based non-profit organization. Our purpose is to strengthen the Portland women in tech community by offering educational programs, partnerships, mentorships, resources and opportunities. We are unifying a supportive environment for current and potential women in tech, all of whom are committed to helping each other. Our goal is to bring together and empower women in tech and to encourage others to pursue tech careers. This is our step towards reducing the gender imbalance in the industry and addressing the current negative effects of that imbalance on women.

Our events are inclusive. ALL people who support our purpose are welcome.