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Jeremy Li '26 Accepted to Present at Human Brain Mapping Conference in France

My research titled “Geometric Integrated Information Reveals Disruption of Brain Dynamics During Propofol Anesthesia” has been accepted for presentation at the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) 2026 conference in Bordeaux, France.

OHBM is one of the largest international scientific meetings focused on brain imaging and neuroscience. Each year it brings together thousands of researchers who study the human brain using technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). About 3,500 scientists are expected to attend this year, including neuroscientists, physicians, engineers, and computational researchers from around the world. Nearly 97% of participants are graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or faculty members, making it a highly advanced research environment.

My research explores one of neuroscience’s most fundamental questions: how the brain produces consciousness. When patients receive anesthesia during surgery, consciousness temporarily disappears, but scientists still do not fully understand how this happens in the brain. By analyzing fMRI brain scans, my project studies how communication between different brain regions changes when a person transitions from wakefulness into anesthesia and then back again.

The project uses computational methods based on Integrated Information Theory, which proposes that consciousness depends on how well the brain integrates information across many regions at once. A major challenge in this field is computational complexity: previous studies could only analyze very small networks of about five or six brain regions. In my work, I developed a computational pipeline that allows these calculations to be applied to networks of around 100 brain regions, making it possible to study brain-wide dynamics in a more realistic way.

I have been working on this project for about two years in collaboration with the Consciousness Research Center at the University of Michigan Medical School, where researchers study the neural basis of consciousness and how anesthetic drugs affect brain activity. Through this collaboration, I have been able to analyze real clinical brain imaging data and work with scientists in anesthesiology and neuroscience.
During the early stages of this project, Mr. Thompson, my mathematics teacher at Ranney, played an important role in helping me understand many of the graduate-level mathematical concepts needed for the research.

Over the past year, I have also had opportunities to engage with the broader international research community studying consciousness to provide insight to my project. Last October, I attended the QStr–IIT Summer School in Venice, an intensive program where researchers explored the mathematical foundations of theories of consciousness. The program is highly selective, with only about 20 students admitted each year. I was the only high school student in the cohort, while most participants were master’s or PhD students. The school also brought together around 20 faculty mentors—leading researchers in neuroscience, physics, and philosophy—who guided discussions and research projects throughout the program. 

I also participated in conferences such as the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (2025, in Greece) and the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (2025, in Australia), and The Science of Consciousness(2024, in Tucson) where scientists from many disciplines share new ideas about the brain and the nature of conscious experience. I also really appreciate the flexibility given by the school to allow me to attend these conferences.

At OHBM 2026, I will present this study as first author, representing the collaboration with the University of Michigan.
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