Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo

What makes neurons special? How do we model them mathematically? How do we model synapses and why are they important for neural function? These questions will guide the first part of the Imbizo. We will also learn about cutting-edge techniques used for large-scale neural data recording from world experts in patch-clamping techniques and from the NEUROPIXEL project.

The functioning of the brain is ultimately an emergent phenomenon; a result of the complex interactions between billions of neurons. We will learn how to model and analyse these dynamic networks, and how biological trends like Dale's Law make understanding these systems more difficult and fascinating.

This cycle will try to bridge the gap from what we have learned about the biology and dynamics of brains to what we observe in behaviour. We will also learn about cutting-edge research in brain-computer interfacing and what this is revealing about how brains work.

Biological and artificial systems have at least three things in common: 1) They sense "the world", 2) turn data from the senses into representations, 3) useful for accomplishing tasks/goals. This week will explore guiding principles for how to design modern artificial systems (neural networks, machine learning algorithms), with an emphasis on how biological/biophysical principles can inform this process.