Damien MARTINS GOMES

MILA - Quebec AI Institute

September 2023 - April 2025

AI/ML Research Student

• Developed AdaFisher, a novel second‑order optimizer that significantly improves performance over Adam in image classification and language modeling, demonstrating superior convergence efficiency and generalization.
• Designed and ran large‑scale training experiments on vision and LLMs (GPT‑1), optimizing hyperparameters, fine‑tuning architectures, transfer learning, and scaling distributed training for robust empirical validation.
• Led theoretical research on neural network optimization, curvature‑aware updates, MVPs, and second‑order methods, bridging mathematical insights with real‑world performance gains.
• Served as a reviewer for top-tier conferences, including ECCV 2024 and NeurIPS 2024, CVPR 2025 and ICML 2025.
• Collaboration with SpeechBrain team for testing AdaFisher on Speech tasks
• Project supervised by Dr. Eugene Belilovsky, Dr. Guy Wolf , and Dr. Mahdi S. Hosseini

Yale University X MILA - Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence

September 2024 - January 2025

AI/ML Research Collaborator

• Leading research on developing novel neural network architectures based on an innovative mathematical framework.
• Implementing and optimizing these architectures within LLMs to enhance performance and computational efficiency.
• Developing methods to capture complex oscillatory patterns found in NLP and speech processing tasks, leveraging insights from neuroscience.
• Collaborating with Dr. Yanlei Zhang and Yale University research team on advancing neural network design.

Murmuration SAS

June 2023 - August 2023

Machine Learning Engineer

• Completed a three-month internship as a Machine Learning Engineer, contributing to the European research project "DeepCube." My main focus was developing a sophisticated price engine model, which I achieved by implementing two key algorithms:
  • A constrained optimization algorithm using SciPy
  • A reinforcement learning model based on the Deep Q Network (DQN) algorithm
  To further enrich the training dataset, I integrated a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for synthetic data generation. The results of my work were presented through a comprehensive dashboard, expertly designed by Mrs. LAINE.

EuroMoonMars

June 2021 - September 2021

Commander // Analog Astronaut

• Commander during the EuroMoonMars Poland 7 (EMMPOL7) mission organized by EuroMoonMars (EMM), the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), and the Analog Astronaut Training Center (AATC). This mission aimed to simulate the living conditions of a future lunar base. During a week in total isolation, I conducted several experiments:
  • Experiment n° 1: Conducted reinforcement learning experiments on a rover navigating challenging sandy terrain. Defining the reward function, action space and the algorithm (DQN).
  • Experiment n° 2: Growing plants subjected to lunar gravity. This experiment aimed to compare the growth of watercress seeds under lunar and terrestrial gravity.
  • Experiment n° 3: Designing the payload of a lunar launcher that can be 3D-printed to send biological samples to an orbiting lunar module in emergencies. Along with another student, I designed the payload in CATIA and printed it using a 3D printer.

Airbus Defence and Space

July 2021 - August 2021

Technician in Industrialization, Production and Integration of Optical equipment on Satellite

• Internship at the end of my second year of integrated preparatory class. Mandated activities:
  • Metrology pole:
    • Analyzed a measurement specification issued by the project.
    • Performed CAD analysis and used PC-DMIS and SpaceAnalyst software to write the measurement program.
    • Followed up on a measurement test on machines and analyzed the results, identifying issues from the procedure.
  • Thermal vessels pole:
    • Analyzed the test specification provided by the project.
    • Prepared testing setups and resources.
    • Monitored the tests and produced test reports.
  • Logistics pole:
    • Followed the receipt and shipment of materials from unloading to storage.
    • Handled the ordering process and organization.
    • Used SAP software for logistics management.
  • Wiring pole:
    • Defined a wiring procedure from project specifications.
    • Conducted wiring among electrical devices on a satellite.
  • IT Department:
    • Participated in the web development of an application.
    • Learned and practiced HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and CSS languages.

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