Fabricio Cravo

Computational Neuroscientist, Postdoctoral Researcher
NeuroPRISM Lab - Northeastern University
Ph.D. in Computer Science/Applied Mathematics from LMF - Paris-Saclay University
(ranked #1 globally in Mathematics by ARWU 2020-2023)

Research Interests

Computational Neuroscience
fMRI Data Analysis and Statistical Methods
Machine Learning Applications to Neuroscience
Mathematical Modeling for Natural Systems
Systems Biology and Biochemical Networks

Work Experience

Computational Neuroscientist, Postdoctoral Researcher - Oct 2024 to Present
Northeastern University, NeuroPRISM Lab, Boston, MA
Lead developer of a Statistical Power Calculator for Neuroimaging and Scientific Computing:
- Built a statistical benchmarking software achieving 25x speedup compared to state-of-the-art software through new algorithms, pipeline optimization, and parallel computing
- Developed mass univariate statistical models (GLM) for high-dimensional brain data analysis across 40,000+ features
- Implemented a multi-language compatible framework with C++ acceleration in precise bottlenecks
- Worked with high-performance cloud computing clusters for improved performance
- Developed a new statistical test for mental health time series data with Fourier transforms
- Improved performance of state-of-the-art neuroscience statistical inference algorithms with newer, lower computational complexity implementations (TFCE, cNBS)
Computational Biologist - Jul 2021 to Oct 2024
LMF/LISN, ENS Paris-Saclay, France
- Creation of the MobsPy language for biochemical reaction network modeling in Python, with 100 users estimated.
- Created a new Natural Algorithm that implements a consensus protocol in Biological Cells.
- Created a new algorithm for studying Quasi-Stationary Distributions in Gene-Regulatory Networks (GRNs) that successfully bounds fault probabilities in multi-stable GRNs
- Study of machine learning applications for microbiological systems with presentations for teams of scientists
Data Scientist - Alternance Internship - Nov 2017 to Jun 2021
LRI - Laboratory for Informatics Research, Paris-Saclay, France
- Successfully designed a multi-distribution stochastic inter-contact time model validated in the MIT-BT dataset with less than 5% error.
- Introduction to mathematical proofs on Markov chains for modeling inter-contact networks
- Successfully validated and implemented a distributed clock synchronization algorithm on an Arduino network
Research Assistant - Piezoelectric Design - May 2015 to Jun 2015
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (Summer Internship)
- Design and data analysis of piezoelectric devices using COMSOL and MATLAB.

Grants and Awards

2026: Post-Doctoral Fellow Award, Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS 2026 Annual Meeting, Vancouver)
2025: co-PI, NINDS Rigor Champions Prize (Tier 1, $10,000), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2025. Awarded with co-PIs Noble and Fischbach for contributions to improving neuroimaging research rigor through the NeuroPRISM Laboratory
2017 - 2020: Eiffel Scholarship Program of Excellence for studies in CentraleSupelec
2014: Science without Borders Scholarship for an exchange program at the University of Missouri
2009: Regional Champion of the Oceanography Olympics

Projects

PRISME: fMRI Power Calculator software with novel algorithms for statistical analysis
DREAMY: Distributed Algorithms in Microbiological Systems (ANR)

Teaching

Algorithms and Complexity (CentraleSupelec) - (2* Semester 2021, 2* Semester 2022)
Distributed Algorithms (Polytech Paris-Saclay) - (2* Semester 2021, 2* Semester 2022)
Electromagnetism (Unicamp) - (1* Semester 2021)
Mathematics Summer School (CentraleSupelec) - (1* Semester 2018, 1* Semester 2019, 1* Semester 2020)

Publications

The Incremental Cluster Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement Algorithm for Functional Connectivity Analysis
F. Cravo, R. Rodriguez, A. Nieto-Castanon, and S. Noble.
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.06.716826
PRISME: A MATLAB Toolbox For Large Data-Driven Multimodal Power Benchmarking
F. Cravo, A. Fischbach, H. Shearer, M. Rosenblatt, D. Scheinost, and S. Noble.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.21.700878v1
A Quasi-Stationary Distribution Bound for Fault Analysis in Gene Regulatory Networks
F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak.
To appear in Journal of the Royal Society Interface
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.21.683707v1
MobsPy: A programming language for biochemical reaction networks
F. Cravo, G. Prakash, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak, 2025.
PLOS Computational Biology
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013024
An Allee-based Distributed Algorithm for Microbial Whole-Cell Sensors
F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak, 2024.
npj Systems Biology and Applications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41540-024-00363-3
MobsPy: A Meta-Species Language for Chemical Reaction Networks
F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, G. Prakash, and T. Nowak, 2022.
Presented at CMSB 2022 (September 2022)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15034-0_14
Stochastic Multi-Distribution Modeling of Inter-Contact Times
F. Cravo and T. Nowak, 2022.
Presented at ICOIN 2022 (January 2022)
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOIN53446.2022.9687207
Pixel Attack for CAPTCHA Construction
F. Cravo and R. Arthur, 2022.
Presented at FICC 2022 (March 2022)
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-98015-3_50

Education

Ph.D. - Computer Science and Applied Mathematics - 2021 - 2024
Paris-Saclay University, France - #1 global in Math ARWU, 2020-2023 (Advisors: J. Burman, M. Fuegger, T. Nowak)
M.Sc. - Computer Engineering (Diplome d'Ingenieur) - 2017 - 2020
CentraleSupelec, France (Double Degree) (Focus: AI, Python, ML, Databases)
B.Sc. - Telecommunications Engineering - 2016 - 2021
University of Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil (Thesis: Pixel Attack for CAPTCHAs - Deep Learning and Adversarial Attacks)
B.Sc. - Chemical Engineering (Interrupted) - 2012 - 2015
Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Brazil (Exchange: Univ. of Missouri)

Talks and Posters

Talks

CNS 2026 Data Blitz: PRISME: A MATLAB Toolbox for Multi-Method Statistical Power Analysis in Neuroimaging. F. Cravo and S. Noble (2026).
Boston Precision Brain and Mental Health Hack 2025: A Fourier-based statistical test for time series with excessive missing data. F. Cravo, R. Rodriguez, and S. Engels (2025).
YSACNAS 2025: BrainPowerX: A New Empirical Power Calculator for fMRI. F. Cravo and S. Noble (2025).
MRI Together 2024: An Empirical Web-Based fMRI Power Calculator. F. Cravo and S. Noble (2024).
Brainhack Northeastern 2024 Lightning Talk: An Empirical Web-Based fMRI Power Calculator. F. Cravo and S. Noble (2024).
Invited Talk: Design Of Distributed Biological Circuits NeuroPRISM Lab. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2024).
Micalis Institute Doctoral Prospectus Presentations: MobsPy - A New Programming Language for Chemical Reaction Networks. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2022).
LMF Ph.D. Student Seminar: Natural Algorithms: How to Program with Cells. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2022).
International Conference on Computational Methods in Systems Biology: MobsPy: A Meta-Species Language for Chemical Reaction Networks. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2022).
LMF - Formal Methods Laboratory Retreat: MobsPy: A Meta-Species Language for Chemical Reaction Networks. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2022).
International Conference on Information Networking: Stochastic Multi-Distribution Modeling of Inter-Contact Times. F. Cravo and T. Nowak (2022).
Future of Information and Communication Conference: Pixel Attack for CAPTCHA Construction. F. Cravo and R. Arthur (2022).
COC Universitario Santos invited talk: A Perspective of Academia - from Brasil to France. F. Cravo (2022).

Posters

CNS 2025 Annual Meeting: BrainPowerX: A New Empirical Power Calculator for fMRI. F. Cravo and S. Noble. (2025)
Summer school "Economic principles in cell biology": MobsPy - A New Programming Language for Chemical Reaction Networks. F. Cravo, M. Fuegger, and T. Nowak (2023).

Software Projects

PRISME
This project consists of the implementation of a new algorithm for statistical empirical power analysis with an optimized architecture for the comparison of multiple statistical inference procedures. - (2024 - Ongoing)
https://github.com/neuroprismlab/Power_Calculator
Greener Webscraper
This project consisted of a bot that automates the search for information about companies from survey responses. It was coded for and used by the Greener consulting company in Brazil. - 2021 (GitHub not publicly available)
MobsPy
This repository contains the Meta-Species Oriented Biosystem Syntax. - (2021 - Ongoing)
https://github.com/ROBACON/mobspy
Event Recommendation Website
In this project, I developed a TF-IDF cosine similarity algorithm to tackle the cold-start recommendation challenge. - 2020
https://github.com/CHUht/Hangout_Recommendations_Front_End
Adversarial Captchas
This project contains a neural network to generate Adversarial Captchas with the One Pixel Attack. - 2020
https://github.com/fabriciocravo/MNIST_Adversarial_Captchas
Collaborative Online TCP-IP Whiteboard
This project consists of a collaborative whiteboard where multiple people can draw together online. - 2019
https://github.com/fabriciocravo/Whiteboard

Students

Shaunticlair Ruiz (MIT) - Multivariate confidence interval methods for neuroimaging; Central Limit Theorem applications to Chemical Reaction Networks
Emma Gershman (Northeastern University) - Set Neural Networks applications in neuroimaging
Fatemeh Doshvargar (Northeastern University) - Scikit-learn pipeline for feature selection in neuroimaging
Remi Baron (ENS Paris-Saclay) - MobsPy development
Margaux Marseloo (ENS Paris-Saclay) - Boltzmann Lattice Chemical Reaction Network simulations
Tristan Parcollet (ENS Paris-Saclay) - Boltzmann Lattice Chemical Reaction Network simulations
Evelyne Le Bezvoet (ENS Paris-Saclay) - Boltzmann Lattice Chemical Reaction Network simulations

Activities

2025: Boston Precision Brain and Mental Health Hack 2025 website and tech solution
2024: Brainhack Northeastern organization volunteer
2023: International Joint Conferences On Theory and Practice of Software - Volunteer Staff
2023: LMF Elected Ph.D. Student Representative - Volunteering representing Ph.D. students in the computer science department from ENS Paris-Saclay
2023: The American Library in Paris - Volunteering with book shelving
2018-2020: Presidency of the Mathematics Summer School - Founding, Creation, Design, and Teaching of the mathematics course for international students coming to CentraleSupelec in collaboration with the CAVILAM institution.
2018-2020: BDI (CentraleSupelec International Student Office) - Volunteering with the reception of international students coming to the school.
2014: University of Missouri - Volunteering with the reception of international students coming to the school.
Research Internship - Piezoelectric Devices Design - S. Kovaleski - University of Missouri (2015)
Research Internship - Electromagnetism Through Differential Forms - A. Mihara - Unifesp (2013 - 2014)

Skills

Programming: Python (Advanced), C++, MATLAB (Advanced)
AI/ML: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Algorithms
Modeling/Analysis: Mathematical Modeling (ODEs, CTMC), Data Analysis, Statistics (GLM)
Tools: Git, SQL, Flask

Languages

Portuguese (Native) • English (Fluent) • French (Fluent) • Spanish (Basic)

Contact

Fabricio Cravo
NeuroPRISM Lab
Northeastern University
Boston, MA
USA

Email: f dot cravogomes [at] northeastern dot edu
Website: fabriciocravo.github.io