I am @lucasmaes_ a second year PhD student at Mila, supervised by Damien Scieur.
Research
My research lies at the intersection of Self-Supervised Learning (SSL), Applied Mathematics, and Systems Design.
These days I focus my attention on JEPA, world models, gradient-based planning and intuitive physics understanding.
My work is motivated by the observation that current AI systems lack robust physical understanding and real-world representations—capabilities that could be acquired through sophisticated world models. I hypothesize that video, with its rich informational content, is an ideal modality for learning such world models.
Last Updated: Jun 29 2025