Connectionists: Call for Participation: Challenging Brain Computer Interfaces

[jose.millan@jrc.it]

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Challenging Brain Computer Interfaces: Neural Engineering Meets Clinical
Needs in Neurorehabilitation
http://www.maia-project.org/workshop-2006.php
November, 9-10, 2006
IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy

Last years have witnessed advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), but
how far is this new field from clinical practice? The goal of the workshop
is to draw the current and future scenarios involving the application of
advanced neural engineering techniques to interpret brain signals for clinical
use in the rehabilitation context.

The presentations will consist of a series of invited talks (see below)
and poster presentations. Some of the major groups in BCI pursuing clinical
applications of this technology will report their experience. The participation
of the Associate Editors of relevant international journals in the field
on neurotechnologies (IEEE TNSRE, Clinical Neurophysiology) will address
how ultimate neural engineering techniques could meet the challenge. Also,
the view of clinicians involved in neurorehabilitation programs will complete
the picture. Finally, the European MAIA project will report their achievements
in non-invasive brain-controlled robots.

Abstract Submission
---------------------------

Please send a one-page abstract (including figures and references, no less
than 200 words) to workshop at maia-project.org

Posters will be selected depending on relevance to the workshop topic, quality,
and novelty.

Selected papers of the workshop will be considered for publication in a
special issue on "BCI and Robotics" of the Journal of Computational Intelligence
and Neuroscience (http://www.hindawi.com/GetPage.aspx?journal=CIN&page=BCI)

Important Dates
----------------------

Deadline for abstract submission: September 14, 2006
Notification of acceptance:  September 25, 2006
Deadline for early registration: October 15, 2006
Conference dates: November 9-10, 2006

Invited Speakers
-----------------------

Prof. José M. Carmena, University of California Berkeley, USA
Prof. Shangkai Gao, Tsinghua University, China
Dr. Andrea Kuebler, University of Tuebingen, Germany
Prof. Marco Molinari, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
Prof. Christa Neuper, University of Graz, Austria
Dr. Florin Popescu, Fraunhofer Institut FIRST, Berlin, Germany
Dr. Theresa Vaughan, Wadsworth Center, Albany, USA

Organizing Committee
------------------------------

Prof. José del R. Millán, IDIAP Research Institute, Martigny, Switzerland
(co-chair)
Prof. Maria Grazia Marciani, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy (co-chair)
Dr. Sara Gonzalez Andrino, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland
Prof. Fabio Babiloni, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy
Ac.Prof. Kimmo kaski, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Prof. Marnix Nuttin, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Registration
----------------

The registration fee is:
- 50 EUR for early registration (October 15, 2006)
- 100 EUR from October 16th to November 1st
- 150 EUR onsite registration
Registration includes coffee breaks and workshop material.

Sponsors
----------------

The workshop is organized by the EU's 6th Framework Programme MAIA project
(http://www.maia-project.org).

It is also sponsored by
- the EU's 6th Framework Programme PASCAL Network of Excellence, 
- IEEE EBMS,
- International Society of Bioelectromagnetism,
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate-General for Cultural
Promotion and Cooperation).

The workshop is also part of the PASCAL's 2006 Thematic Programme on "Computational
Neuroscience and BCI".
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-- 
Prof. Dr. José del R. Millán
IDIAP Research Institute
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
IDIAP. Rue du Simplon 4. 1920 Martigny. Switzerland
Tel: +41-27-7217.770   Fax: +41-27-7217.712
jose.millan at idiap.ch