2nd announcement: Methods in Computational Neuroscience course

[ken@cns.caltech.edu]

COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT: METHODS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

***  2ND (AND LAST) NOTICE  ***  APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MAY 15  ***

We are writing to bring to your attention the course ``Methods in
Computational Neuroscience", to be offered Aug 5 -- 30, 1991 at the Marine
Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.  The course will provide
intensive training in methods of neural modeling to 20 graduate students,
postdocs, and faculty.  Course directors are James Bower, Christof Koch, and
Kenneth Miller (Associate Director), from Caltech.

The course will include both lectures, and a laboratory in which each
student will undertake a computational project of their own choosing.  Each
student will be provided with a Unix workstation (Sun Sparcstation II) and
will be trained in doing neural simulations using the general purpose neural
simulator GENESIS that has been developed at Caltech.  GENESIS is publicly
distributed without cost, so students can bring the skills acquired back
to others at their institution.

Course lectures are roughly divided into two sections.  The first section
will focus on biophysically realistic, detailed simulations of activity
patterns in neurons and neuronal networks.  Methods for simulating the
electrical properties of single neurons will be introduced (compartmental
models, active currents, interactions between synapses, calcium dynamics).
Numerical and mathematical techniques necessary for such simulations will be
presented, as will mathematical methods appropriate for understanding
simplified network models (e.g.  theory of dynamical systems).  Applications
to networks will be drawn from the invertebrate and vertebrate literature
(central pattern generators, visual system of the fly, mammalian
hippocampus, olfactory cortex).  

Faculty for this section will include: 
Paul Adams, SUNY Stony Brook 
Christof Koch, Caltech 
Idan Segev, Hebrew University 
Matthew Wilson, U. of Arizona 
Michael Mascagni, Supercomputing Research Center and NIH 
Jim Bower, Caltech 
Roger Traub, IBM 
John Rinzel, NIH 
Avis Cohen, U. Maryland 
Nancy Kopell, Boston U. 
Eve Marder, Brandeis 
Sylvia Ryckebusch, Caltech

The second section will build on the first, focusing on learning,
development, and higher functions.  Topics such as LTP in hippocampus,
development of the visual cortex and of the retino-tectal projection, and
motion perception will be presented.  Models at both the cellular and
network levels will be discussed.  More abstract networks, including
biologically relevant learning algorithms and connectionist models, will
also be examined from a neurobiological point of view.  

Faculty for this section will include: 
Charles Stevens, Salk Institute
Anthony Zador, Yale
Kenneth Miller, Caltech 
David MacKay, Caltech 
David Zipser, UCSD 
Terry Sejnowski, UCSD and the Salk Institute 
Christof Koch, Caltech 
Bill Bialek, NEC Corp. 
Rodney Douglas, Oxford 
David Van Essen, Caltech 
Richard Anderson, MIT
Ted Adelson, MIT

Requests for applications should be sent to:

Ms. Florence Dwane
Admissions Coordinator
Marine Biological Laboratory
Woods Hole, MA 02543

Applications should be sent to Ms. Dwane by May 15 1991.
Financial aid is available for all students that need it.

We believe this course provides a unique opportunity to develop skills in
neural modeling.  Please bring the course to the attention of your
colleagues.  We encourage you and your colleagues to consider attending.