NIPS workshop announcement

[Terence D. Sanger]

			NIPS*95 Post-Conference Workshop 

		"Vertebrate Neurophysiology and Neural Networks: 
		   Can the teacher learn from the student?"

		Saturday December 2, 7:30-9:30AM, 4:30-6:30PM
			Organizer:  Terence Sanger, MIT.


				SUMMARY

Results from neurophysiological investigations continue to guide the
development of artificial neural network models that have been shown to have
wide applicability in solving difficult computational problems. This
workshop addresses the question of whether artificial neural network models
can be applied to understanding neurophysiological results and guiding
further experimental investigations. Recent work on close modelling of
vertebrate neurophysiology will be presented, so as to give a survey of some
of the results in this field. We will concentrate on examples for which
artificial neural network models have been constructed to mimic the
structure as well as the function of their biological counterparts. Clearly,
this can be done at many different levels of abstraction. The goal is to
discuss models that have explanatory and predictive power for
neurophysiology. The following questions will serve as general discussion
topics:

1.  Do artificial neural network models have any relationship to ``real''
Neurophysiology?
2.  Have any such models been used to guide new biological research?
3.  Is Neurophysiology really useful for designing artificial networks,
or does it just provide a vague ``inspiration''?
4.  How faithfully do models need to address ultrastructural or membrane
properties of neurons and neural circuits in order to generate realistic
predictions of function?
5.  Are there any artificial network models that have applicability
across different regions of the central nervous system devoted to varied
sensory and motor modalities?
6.  To what extent do theoretical models address more than one of David
Marr's levels of algorithmic abstraction (general approach, specific
algorithm, and hardware implementation)?

Selected examples of Neural Network models for Neurophysiological results
will be presented, and active audience participation and discussion will be
encouraged.  


				SCHEDULE

Saturday, December 2

7:30 - T. Sanger: Introduction and Overview

8:00 - T. Sejnowski: "Bee Foraging in Uncertain Environments using
	Predictive Hebbian Learning"  

8:30 - A. Pouget: "Spatial Representations in the Parietal Cortex may use
	Basis Functions"

9:00 - Discussion

--- Break ---

4:30 - S. Giszter: "Spinal Primitives and their Dynamics in Vertebrate Limb
	Control:  A Biological Perspective"

5:00 - G. Goodhill: "Modelling the Development of Primary Visual Cortex:
	Determinants of Ocular Dominance Column Periodicity"

5:30 - Discussion