Meet Dr. Puffle, the newest (and furriest) member of the DePaq lab. Studying for a PhD in Paw-perception Modeling and a postdoc in Fetch-based Reinforcement Learning, Dr. Puffle specializes in real-time trajectory prediction and reward-optimized retrieval algorithms. His groundbreaking work in frisbee-tracking neural circuits has shed light on the optimal firing patterns required for split-second mid-air catches. When not napping under the lab benches, he’s busy running deep learning simulations on whether a ball that disappears behind a couch is, in fact, gone forever—or just in a temporary occlusion state. His research interests include dopamine-driven motivation for infinite fetch loops, computational models of tail-chasing attractor states, and the effects of the word “Walk?” on spontaneous neural excitation.

Related reading: Frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs, better known as the zoomies), sudden bursts of running in circles whose cause is still unknown. Dr. Puffle is a dedicated participant-observer.