Connectionists: Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course 2006: Call for Applications

[Kenji Doya]

		Call for Applications
	OKINAWA COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2006
		"Computing Neurons"
	June 26 - July 7, 2006. Okinawa, Japan.
		http://www.irp.oist.jp/ocnc/2006
	Application Deadline: APRIL 10TH, 2006

The aim of Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide
opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to 
learn
latest advances in neuroscience, and those with experiment backgrounds
to have hands-on experience in computational modeling.

We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate
in the course, held from June 26th through July 7th at an oceanfront
seminar house of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
Those interested in attending the course should send the materials below
by e-mail or the course web page by APRIL 10th, 2006.

We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and
experimental neuroscientists to meet together and to explore the 
attractive
nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of 
Japan.

******* Course Outline *******

	Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course (OCNC2006)
Theme:	Computing Neurons
		- What neurons compute; How we know by computing -

Our brain is a network of billions of neurons, but even a single
neuron is a fantastically complex computing device. Technology has
made it possible to look into the detailed structure of dendritic
branches, variety of ionic channels and receptors, molecular
reactions at the synapses, and the network of genes that regulate
all these. The challenge is to understand the meaning and function
of these components of the neural machine. To do this we need to
put together data from many experiments at different levels into a
computational model, and to analyze the kinds of computation that
single neurons and their networks can perform. This course invites
graduate students and postgraduate researchers who are interested
in studies integrating experimental and computational approaches
for understanding cellular mechanisms of neurons.

Lectures:
	Upi Bhalla (NCBS)
	Sydney Brenner (OIST)
	Yang Dan (UC Berkeley)
	Erik DeSchutter (U Antwerp)
	Kenji Doya (OIST)
	Bard Ermentrout (U Pittsburgh)
	Geoff Goodhill (U Queensland)
	Shin Ishii (NAIST)
	Shinya Kuroda (U Tokyo)
	Nicolas Le Novere (European Bioinformatics Institute)
	Roberto Malinow (Cold Spring Harbor Lab)
	Henry Markram (EPFL)
	Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute)
	Susumu Tonegawa (MIT)
	(more to be announced)

Student Projects
	a) Introduction to neural/cellular simulator platforms
	b) Model construction from experimental data
	c) Analysis of neuron models

Students will present posters on their current works early in the
course and the results of their projects at the end of the course.

Date:	June 26th to July 7th, 2006
Place:	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
		Onna village, Okinawa, Japan
Sponsors:
	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
	Nara Institute of Science and Technology
	Japanese Neural Network Society
Co-organizers:
	Upinder Bhalla, National Center for Biological Sciences, India
	Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
	Shinya Kuroda, University of Tokyo
	Nicolas Le Novere (European Bioinformatics Institute)
Advisors:
	Sydney Brenner, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
	Hiroaki Kitano, SONY Computer Science Laboratory
	Terrence Sejnowski, Salk Institute
	Susumu Tonegawa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

******* Application *******

Please send the following by e-mail (ocnc at irp.oist.jp) or the web
application page by APRIL 10TH, 2006.

1) First name, 2) Middle initial (if any), 3) Family name, 4) Degree,
5) Date of birth, 6) Gender, 7) Nationality, 8) Affiliation, 9) 
Position,
10) Advisor, 11) Postal address, 12) Phone, 13) Fax, 14) E-mail,
15) Web page (if any), 16) Educational background, 17) Work experience,
18) List of publications, 19) Research interests (up to 500 words),
20) Motivations for attending the course (up to 500 words), 21) Two 
referees
whom can ask recommendations (names, affiliations, e-mail addresses),
22) Need for travel support, 23) How you learned about the course.

We will accept 30 students based primarily on their research interests
(19) and motivations (20). We will also consider the balance of members'
research disciplines, geographic origins, and genders.

The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course. Support 
for
roundtrip airfare to Okinawa will be considered for students without 
funding.
The result of selection will be informed to applicants via e-mail by 
May 10th.

The details of OCNC2004 and 2005 are available on the web page
(http://www.irp.oist.jp/ocnc/).

******* Secretariat *******

Okinawa Computational Neuroscience Course
c/o Initial Research Project, Okinawa Institute of Science and 
Technology
12-22 Suzaki, Gushikawa
Okinawa 904-2234, Japan
Phone: +81-98-921-3933
Fax: +81-98-921-3873
Email: ocnc at irp.oist.jp

For more information, please visit the web page:
	http://www.irp.oist.jp/ocnc/2006

----
Kenji Doya <doya at irp.oist.jp>
Initial Research Project, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
12-22 Suzaki, Uruma, Okinawa 904-2234, Japan
Phone:+81-98-921-3843; Fax:+81-98-921-3873
http://www.irp.oist.jp/