Justus
Westerhoff

Justus Westerhoff is a PhD candidate at BHT under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Felix Gers. He holds an M.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Münster and focuses on biologically inspired machine learning and computer vision.

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Justus’ academic training spans differential geometry, topology, statistics, and machine learning, combining rigorous mathematical reasoning with applied computational methods. Their Master’s thesis focused on the Bochner technique and curvature conditions in differential geometry. Subsequently, they worked as a research engineer in industrial predevelopment, translating state-of-the-art machine learning research into deployable systems. Their work concentrated on computer vision, reinforcement learning, and multimodal sensor data that included optical, ultrasound, and mechanical signals, contributing to applied research projects, proof-of-concept implementations, and collaborations with industry and research partners.
Currently, Justus’ PhD research focuses on continual few-shot learning and biologically inspired neural architectures, with a strong emphasis on computer vision and the adaptation of foundation models. Their work includes Comply, an efficient fruit fly-inspired architecture that outperforms significantly larger transformer models; Weight Imprinting methods for rapid adaptation of foundation models; and SCAM, an analysis of typographic attacks exposing vulnerabilities in vision systems.
Beyond research, Justus is actively involved in the Berlin AI community through BLISS, where they help organize reading groups, community events, and the BLISS AI Speaker Series, fostering exchange between academic research and applied machine learning practice.