Curiosity,
Information Seeking,
& Exploration

From Neurons to Cognition

30th September - 1st
October, 2025

Brown University, Rhode Island

About

Curiosity, information seeking, and exploration (CISE) are central aspects of cognition, driving learning, decision-making, and creativity. Although this has long been recognized, how we seek information has only recently become a topic of scientific research. Recent advances in experimental design, modelling, and generative AI present a unique opportunity to address fundamental questions about the mechanisms and dynamics of information-seeking behavior. Now, the field is expanding rapidly across fields including psychology, neuroscience, ecology, economics, and computer science.

The CISE conference aims to establish a community of researchers at the cutting edge of developments in a range of approaches to understanding curiosity, information seeking and exploration. This event will bring together interdisciplinary researchers through talks and poster presentations, to catalyze knowledge exchange and integration across disciplines.

    📅 DAY 1 – September 30
  • 10:00 – 10:45 | Registration
    ☕ Check-in and coffee
  • 10:45 – 11:00 | Opening Remarks
  • 11:00 – 12:00 | Session 1
    Short Talks
    📢 Invited Talk
  • 12:00 – 12:15 | Session 2: Poster Blitz
  • 12:15 – 13:15 | 🥗 Lunch Break
  • 13:15 – 14:45 | Session 3: Posters
  • 14:45 – 15:45 | Session 4: Invited Talks
  • 15:45 – 16:15 | ☕ Coffee Break
  • 16:15 – 18:00 | Session 5
    Contributed Talks
    📢 Invited Talk
    📢 Invited Talk
  • 19:30 onwards | 🍷 Social Meet-Up
    (Venue TBC)
    📅 DAY 2 – October 1
  • 09:00 – 10:30 | Session 6
    📢 Invited Talks & Contributed Talks
  • 10:30 – 11:00 | ☕ Coffee Break
  • 11:00 – 12:00 | Session 7
    📢 Invited Talk
    Contributed Talks
  • 12:00 – 12:15 | Session 8: Poster Blitz
  • 12:15 – 13:15 | 🥗 Lunch Break
  • 13:15 – 14:45 | Session 9: Posters
  • 14:45 – 16:00 | Session 10
    📢 Invited Talk
    📢 Invited Talk
  • 16:00 – 16:15 | Closing Remarks

Speakers

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Jacqueline Gottlieb

Columbia University

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Tali Sharot

UCL / MIT

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George Loewenstein

Carnegie Mellon University

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Alireza Modirshanechi

EPFL

Russell Golman
Russell Golman

Carnegie Mellon

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Valeria González

Reed College

Caroline Charpentier
Caroline Charpentier

University of Maryland

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Robert Wilson

Georgia Institute of Technology

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Kate Nussenbaum

Boston University

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Haoxue Fan

Brown University

Registration & Abstracts

Submit your abstract for the 2025 CISE conference at this link !
Registration and abstract submissions are now closed. See you at the conference!

Information for Presenters

Poster dimensions should be no more than 42" wide × 46" high.

Abstracts are due by Monday, August 4th, 2025 by 11:59pm GMT.
Abstract Requirements:
- Maximum 300 words (not including authors/affiliations/title)
- Include relevant background, methods, results, conclusion, and relevant statistical details
- Please include 3-5 keywords
- PDF documents only

Registration will open soon.
If you don't want to submit an abstract but would like to be notified when registration opens, please enter your email here . Given space constraints, priority will be given to those who submit abstracts.

Organizing committee

Romy Frömer
Romy Frömer

University of Birmingham

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Jo Cutler

University of Birmingham

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Ohad Dan

Yale

Hayley Dorfman

Harvard

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Matt Nassar

Brown University

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Jacqueline Gottlieb

Columbia University

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Tali Sharot

UCL / MIT

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors
Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) University of Birmingham
Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH)
University of Birmingham
Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science
Carney Institute for Brain Science
Brown University

Contact: ciseconf [at] gmail [dot] com