Scott Sterrett is a Scientist I in the Theory group at the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, where he studies how naturalistic animal behavior emerges from the coupled dynamics of brain, body, and environment. His work bridges two complementary approaches: applying machine learning and statistical modeling to neural and behavioral data in experimental collaborations and developing recurrent neural network models that generate testable hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying adaptive behavior. A central focus of his current research is patch foraging in mice navigating virtual-reality environments, where he investigates how animals integrate sensory evidence, internal state, and patch context to decide how to move.

Before joining the Allen Institute, Sterrett completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Washington, working with Adrienne Fairhall on computational approaches to olfactory-guided navigation in freely behaving mice. He earned his BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.