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Peer-Reviewed Works (Selected)

Refereed Original Research Articles and Works Published in Journals

1. Fernandez-Leon J.A.; Sarramone L. (2023) The grid-cell normative model: Unifying ‘principles’. Biosystems 235, 105091, doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105091.

2. Fernandez-Leon J.A.; Sarramone L. (2023) Making Room for the Place-Grid Coupled Dynamics. Adaptive Behavior 0(0). doi:10.1177/10597123231215524

3. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Uysal, A.K.; Ji, Daoyun (2022) Place cells dynamically refine grid cell activities to reduce error accumulation during path integration in a continuous attractor model. Scientific Reports-Nature 12(1), 21443. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25863-2

4. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2022) Does the free energy principle sleep on it?: Comment on "How particular is the physics of the free energy principle?" by Miguel Aguilera et al. Phys Life Rev. 43:1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.07.004.

5. Ash, RT; Palagina, G.*; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.*; Park, J*; Seilheimer, R; Lee, S; Sabharwal, J; Reyes, F; Wang, J; Lu, D; Sarfraz, M; Froudarakis, E; Tolias, AS; Wu, SM; Smirnakis, SM. (2022) Increased Reliability of Visually-Evoked Activity in Area V1 of the MECP2-Duplication Mouse Model of Autism. J Neurosci. 42 (33) 6469-6482. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0654-22.2022. *denotes equal contribution.

6. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G. (2022) Uncovering the Secrets of the Concept of Place in Cognitive Maps Aided by Artificial Intelligence. Cognitive Computation. doi: 10.1007/s12559-022-10064-w

7. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.*; Engelke, DS.*; Aquino-Miranda, G*; Goodson, A; Do Monte, FH. (2021) Neural correlates and determinants of approach-avoidance conflict in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex. eLife 10. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.74950 (available in bioRxivs 2021.05.27.445881). *denotes equal contribution.

8. Engelke, D.; Zhang, X.; O’Malley, J.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Li, S.; Kirouac, G.; Beierlein, M.; Do-Monte, F. (2021) A Hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats. Nature Communications-Nature. 12(1):2517. doi: 0.1038/s41467-021-22730-y

9. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G. (2021) A heuristic perspective on non-variational free energy modulation at the sleep-like edge. BioSystems 208, 104466. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104466

10. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G. (2021) Challenges for neuroscience-based computational intelligence. International Journal of Computational Intelligence Studies 10(4), pp.232-238. doi: 10.1504/IJCISTUDIES.2021.1004448

11. Engelke, D.; Zhang, X.; O'Malley, J.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Li, S.; Kirouac, G.; Do Monte, F.H. (2021) Thalamic Circuits Balancing Fear and Reward-Seeking Responses. Biological Psychiatry 89 (9), S10. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.045

12. Do Monte, F.H.; Engelke, D.; Zhang, X.; Olivo, L.; O'Malley, J.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Li, S.; Kirouac, G. (2020) Thalamic Circuits Balancing Fear and Reward-Seeking Responses. Biological Psychiatry 87 (9), S7-S8. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.02.047

13. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Aquino-Miranda, G.; Do Monte, F. (2020). Neural Correlates of Approach-Avoidance Conflict in the Prelimbic Prefrontal Cortex. Neuropharmacology 45 (supp 1), pp. 288-288. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00892-5

14. Do Monte, F.; Engelke, D.; Olivo, L.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; O’Malley, J.; Zhang, X.; Li, S.; Kirouac, G.; Beierlein, M. (2019) Overcoming fear to obtain food: Focus on the paraventricular thalamus. IBRO Reports 6, S42. doi: 10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.127

15. Do Monte, F.H.; Engelke, D.; Olivo, L.; Zhang, X.; O'Malley, J.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Li, S.; Kirouac, G. (2019) Trick or Threat: Neural Circuits Balancing Reward-Seeking with the Risk of Predation. Neuropharmacology 44 (Suppl. 1), Nature. 389-390. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0547-9

16. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Hansen, B.; Dragoi, V. (2018) Representation of Rapid Image Sequences in V4 Networks. Cerebral Cortex, 28(8): 2675–2684. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhx146

17. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Parajuli, A.; Franklin, R.; Sorenson, M.; Felleman, D. Hansen, B.; Hu, M.; Dragoi, V. (2015) A wireless transmission neural interface systems for non-human primates. J. Neural Eng. 12(5): 056005. doi: 10.1088/1741-2560/12/5/056005

18. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2014) Robustness as a non-localizable relational phenomenon. Biological Reviews 89(3): 552–567. doi: 10.1111/brv.12067

19. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G; Rozenfeld, A. (2014) How simple autonomous decisions evolve into robust behaviours?: A review from neurorobotics, cognitive, self-organized and artificial immune system fields. BioSystems 124: 7–20. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2014.08.003

20. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2012). Behavioral robustness: an emergent phenomenon by means of distributed mechanisms and neurodynamics determinacy. BioSystems 107(1): 34-51. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.09.002

21. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2011). Evolving cognitive-behavioural dependencies in situated agents for behavioural robustness. BioSystems 106: 94-110. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.07.003

22. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2011). Behavioural robustness: a link between distributed mechanisms and coupled transient dynamics. BioSystems 105: 49-61. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.03.006

23. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.; Mayosky, M. (2011). From network-to-antibody robustness in a bio-inspired immune system. BioSystems 104(2-3): 109-17. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.01.007

24. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2011). Behavioral robustness and the distributed mechanisms hypothesis: lessons from bio-inspired and theoretical biology. Science and Technology, 11(2): 85-107. http://www.palermo.edu/ingenieria/pdf2012/cyt/numero11/CyT11_06.pdf

25. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.; Mayosky, M. (2011). Immune robustness from top to down: bio-inspired immune-based behaviour coordination for autonomous mobile robot navigation. Science and Technology, 11(2): 109-128. http://www.palermo.edu/ingenieria/pdf2012/cyt/numero11/CyT11_07.pdf

26. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2010). Evolving experience-dependent robust behaviour in embodied agents. BioSystems 103(1): 45-56. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2010.09.010

27. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.; Mayosky, M. (2009). Behavioral control through evolutionary neurocontrollers for autonomous mobile robot navigation. Robotics & Autonomous Systems 57(4): 411-419. doi: 10.1016/j.robot.2008.06.012 [The 10th of the Top 25 Hottest Articles]

28. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Tosini, M.; Acosta, G.; Acosta, N. (2005). An Experimental Study on Evolutionary Reactive Behaviors for Mobile Robots Navigation. Computer Science & Technology 5(4): 183-188. http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/9591


Book Chapters

1.       Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Arlego, M.; Acosta, G.G. (2022). Is Free Energy an Organizational Principle in Spiking Neural Networks?. In: Cañamero, L., Gaussier, P., Wilson, M., Boucenna, S., Cuperlier, N. (eds) From Animals to Animats 16. SAB 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNAI), vol 13499, 79–90. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16770-6_7

2.       Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Di Paolo, E.A. (2008). Neural Noise Induces the Evolution of Robust Behaviour by Avoiding Non-functional Bifurcations. In: Asada, M., Hallam, J.C.T., Meyer, JA., Tani, J. (eds) From Animals to Animats 10. SAB 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNAI), vol 5040, pp. 32-41. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69134-1_4

3.       Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Di Paolo, E.A. (2007). Neural Uncertainty and Sensorimotor Robustness. In: Almeida e Costa, F., Rocha, L.M., Costa, E., Harvey, I., Coutinho, A. (eds) Advances in Artificial Life. ECAL 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNAI), vol 4648, pp. 786-795. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74913-4_79

4.   Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.; Mayosky, M.; Calvo Ibáñez, O. (2009). A Biologically Inspired Control based on Behavioural Coordination in Evolutionary Robotics, Chapter VII in Advancing Artiicial Intelligence through Biological Process Applications, pp. 107-129, IGI-Global (Idea Group Inc.), USA-UK. Editors: Dr. A. B. Porto, Dr. A. Pazos, and Dr. W. Buño, 2009. (ISBN: 978-1- 59904-996-0).


Works Published in Proceedings of Scientific-Technological Events

1. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Sarramone, L. (2023) Estimación de posición robusta mediante la coordinación entre neuronas grilla. RPIC 2023 Conference, Misiones, Argentina.

2. Sarramone, L.; Ventancor Cressatti, L; Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2023) La escalabilidad lineal de módulos grilla favorece la navegación vectorial precisa de largo alcance. CONAIISI 2023 Conference, Tucuman, Argentina.

3. Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2023). Error minimization for path integration through place-grid cells dynamic coupling. SAN2023 – Argentinean Society for Neuroscience. Young Investigator Talks. San Luis, Argentina. October 2023.

4. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Uysal, A.K.; Ji, Daoyun (2022) Place-grid cells dynamic coupling enables error minimization for path integration. Proceedings of the 4th Interdisciplinary Navigation Symposium (iNav 2022). June 2022, Italy (virtual).

5. Todorovich, E.; Sarramone, L.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2021) ¿Cómo correr algoritmos de Neurociencia e Inteligencia Computacional sobre hardware reducido? Proceedings of the 2021 CONAIISI. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Mendoza, November 2021, Mendoza, Argentina.

6. Sarramone, L.; Todorovich, E.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2021) Control neuro-inspirado para navegación espacial entre neurociencia e inteligencia computacional. Proceedings of the 2021 CONAIISI. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Mendoza, November 2021, Mendoza, Argentina.

7. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Froese, T. (2010). What is the relationship between behavioral robustness and distributed mechanisms of cognitive behavior? Special Session on Evolutionary Robotics. Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. IEEE Society. July 2010, Barcelona, Spain.

8. Acosta, G.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Mayosky, M. (2010). Artificial immune system inspired behavior coordination for autonomous mobile robot trajectory generation. Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. IEEE Society. July 2010, Barcelona, Spain. Doi: 10.1109/CEC.2010.5586353

9. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.G. Mayosky, M. A. (2008). Coordinación Inmuno-Inspirada de Comportamientos para generar trayectorias de Robots Móviles Autónomos. Anales del V Jornadas Argentinas de robótica. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Bahía Blanca, 12-14 November de 2008.

10. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.G. Mayosky, M. A. (2006). Escalabilidad y Adaptación: Estudio Experimental y Perspectivas del Control Adaptativo Bio-Inspirado. Proceeding of the III Workshop on MSc dissertation and PhD thesis in Artificial Intelligence – WTDIA’2006, October 23-27, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil.

11. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Goñi, O. Acosta, G.G. Mayosky, M.A. (2006). Neuro-controllers, scalability and adaptation. Proceedings of the XII Congreso Argentino de Ciencias de la Computación, 17-21 October, Potrero de los Funes, San Luis, Argentina.

12. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Tosini, M.; Acosta, G.G.; Acosta, N. (2005). Estudio Experimental sobre Comportamientos Reactivos-Evolutivos en Navegación de Robots Móviles, Proceeding of CACIC 2005, Concordia, Entre Ríos, Argentina, and Journal of Computer Science and Technology JCS&T, special edition Dic. 05 – Selected Papers CACIC05, Ed. G. Simari (ISSN1666-6038). 

13. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Tosini, M.; Acosta, N. (2005). Estudio de la Adaptación de Controladores en Robótica Evolutiva. Proceedings VII Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación (WICC´05). Proceedings WICC 2005 (CD-Rom). Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina. 13-14/05/05.

14. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Tosini, M.; Acosta, G.G. (2004). Evolutionary Reactive Behavior for Mobile Robots Navigation. IEEE Conference on Cybernetics and Intelligent Systems (IEEE CIS). Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE CIS, Singapore, CD (ISBN 0-7803-88643-4/04), p. 532 a 537. 2004.

15. Tosini, M.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.G. (2004). Controladores Evolutivos en Robots Móviles y su Sintetización en una Aplicación de Lógica Programable. Proceedings of the Simposio Latino Americano en Aplicaciones de Lógica Programable y Procesadores Digitales de Señales en Procesamiento de Videos, Visión por Computador y Robótica. SLALP 2004 (CD-Rom), San Carlos, Brasil, November 8-10. 

16. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, G.G. (2004). Controladores Neuronales en Robótica Evolutiva. Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación (WICC´04). Universidad del Comahue. Proceedings WICC´04 (CD-Rom), pp. 521-525. Neuquén, Argentina. 20-21/05/04.

17. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Vulcano, A.S.; Tosini, M. (2004). Estudio de una Arquitectura Modular para Control Robótico Autónomo. Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación (WICC´04). Facultad de Economía y Administración, Universidad del Comahue. Proceedings WICC´04 (CD-Rom), pp. 488-491. Neuquén, Argentina.

18. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Acosta, H.N. (2003). Hierarchical Control in Robot Soccer using Robotic Multi-Agents. IX Congreso Argentino de Ciencias de la Computación (CACIC 2003). UNLP. Proceedings CACIC 2003 (CD-Rom). pp. 1536-1544. La Plata, Buenos Aires. 6-10/10/03.

19. Acosta, H.N.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A. (2003). Description of a Hierarchical Architecture for Robot’s Control. Argentine Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (ASAI´03). 32th Conference of the Argentine Computer Science and Operational Research Society (JAIIO). SADIO. UADE. Proceedings of ASAI´03 (CDRom). Buenos Aires. 1-5/09/03.

20. Acosta, H.N.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Vázquez, M.O. (2003). Desarrollo de un Equipo de Fútbol de Robots. Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación (WICC´03). Fac. Cs. Exactas, UNCPBA. Proceedings WICC´03 (CD-Rom), pp. 10-14. Tandil, Buenos Aires. 22-23/05/03.

21. Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Juárez, M.M.; Martínez, V.D.; Amandi, A. (2000). Inferencia de Perfiles de Usuarios en Ambientes Multiagentes Colaborativos. Proceedings EST 2000 - 29° Jornadas Argentinas de Informática e Investigación Operativa (29° JAIIO). Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 9/2000. 


Other Presentations at Conferences

1.       Quave, C.; Aquino-Miranda, G.; Albert, R.; Chidomere, C.; Bora, E.; Cattani, M.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Do Monte, F. Dynamics of prelimbic cortex activity encode the predictive value of reward-associated cues. Poster at 2021 SfN Neuroscience. Chicago, USA, 2021.

2.       Aquino-Miranda, G; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, DS; Godson, A.; Do Monte, FH. (2021) Activity in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex encodes individual differences in approach-avoidance conflict in rats. Poster at 2021 SfN Neuroscience. Chicago, USA, 2021.

3.   Zhang, X.; Engelke, D.; O’Malley, J.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Li, S.; Kiroac, G.; Beierlein, M.; Do Monte, F. (2021) CRF Neurons in a Paraventricular Thalamic Circuit Regulate Food-approach vs. Threat-Avoidance Conflict. Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne), Denver, USA.

4.       Aquino-Miranda, G; Fernandez-Leon, JA; Engelke, DS; Do Monte, FH. (2020) The prelimbic prefrontal cortex encodes individual differences in approach-avoidance conflict in rats. UTHeath Virtual Neuroscience Poster Session 2020, Houston, Texas, USA, 2020.

5.       Do Monte, F.H.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Aquino-Miranda, G.; Albert, R. Foraging at the edge of fear: neural correlates of approach-avoidance conflict in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex. Poster at the 2019 Gordon Research Conference - Amygdala Function in Emotion, Cognition and Disease. Easton, Massachusetts, USA, 2019.

6.       Engelke, D.; Olivo, L.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; O'Malley, J.J.; Vasquez, A.; Kiroac, G.; Beirlein, M.; Do Monte, F. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the paraventricular thalamus balance food seeking with the risk of predation. Poster at the 2019 Gordon Research Conference - Amygdala Function in Emotion, Cognition and Disease. Easton, Massachusetts, USA, 2019.

7.       Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Do Monte, F. Foraging at the edge of fear: neural correlates of memory discrimination in the prelimbic cortex. Poster at the 2019 Conference on Learning and Memory — UT Austin. Austin, Texas, USA, 2019. [Best Poster Award]

8.       Engelke, D.; Olivo, L.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Vasquez, A.; Do Monte, F. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the paraventricular thalamus balance food seeking with the risk of predation. Poster at the 2019 Conference on Learning and Memory — UT Austin. Austin, Texas, USA, 2019.

9.       Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Naim-Rasheed, M.; Do Monte, F. Neural correlates of reward vs. fear memory discrimination on the prelimbic cortex. Poster at the 25th Annual Neuroscience Poster Session, Houston, Texas, USA, 2018.

10.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Engelke, D.; Naim-Rasheed, M.; Terzian, A.; Do Monte, F. Neural correlates of reward vs. fear memory discrimination on the prelimbic cortex. Poster at 2018 SfN Neuroscience. San Diego, California, USA, 2018.

11.    Engelke, D.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Terzian, A.; Naim-Rasheed, M.; Do Monte, F. Balancing food seeking with the risk of predation recruits the paraventricular thalamus. Poster at 2018 SfN Neuroscience. San Diego, California, USA, 2018.

12.    Terzian, A.; Engelke, D.; Naim-Rasheed, M.; LI, S.; O'Malley, J.J.; Dasgupta, R.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Justice, N.; Beirlein, M.; Kiroac, G.; Do Monte, F. CRF neurons in the paraventricular thalamus reduce food-seeking behavior. Poster at 2018 SfN Neuroscience. San Diego, California, USA, 2018.

13.    Engelke, D.; Terzian, A.; Naim-Rasheed, M.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Do Monte, F. Paraventricular Thalamus balances reward seeking with the risk of predation. Poster at 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), Berlin, Germany, 2018.

14.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Rosenberg, A.; Chen, A.; Zaidel, A.; DeAngelis, G.C.; Angelaki, D.E. Dynamics of heading and choice-related signals in areas PIVC, VIP and MSTd. Poster at 2015 SfN Neuroscience. Chicago, USA, 2015.

15.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Parajuli, A.; Mulas, M.; Hu, M.; Franklin, R.; Sorenson, M.; Hansen, B.; Dragoi, V. A wireless transmission neural interface system for non-human primates. Poster at 2014 SfN Neuroscience. Washington, USA, 2014.

16.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Pojoga, S; Dragoi, V. Stimulus-suppressed neuronal responses in macaque visual cortex. Poster at 20th Annual Neuroscience Poster Session. Houston, Texas, USA, 2013.

17.    Eagleman, S.; Mulas, M.; Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Dragoi, V. Effects of rest on V4 network coding in perceptual learning. Poster at 2013 SfN Neuroscience. San Diego, California, USA, 2013.

18.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Hansen, B.J.; Dragoi, V. Coding of Image Sequences in Macaque V4 Networks. NRC Poster Session, UTHealth Neuroscience Research Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 2012.

19.    Fernandez-Leon, J.A.; Hansen, B.J.; Dragoi, V. Coding of Image Sequences in Macaque V4 Networks. Neuroscience 2012, The Society for Neuroscience (SfN), New Orleans, USA, 2012.