Connectionists: Announcement for the Advanced Course in Computational Neurosience 2007 in Arcachon, France

[Florence Dancoisne]

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ADVANCED COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (A PENS NEUROSCIENCE SCHOOL)

August 6th - 31st 2007, ARCACHON, FRANCE

DIRECTORS:

N. Brunel (Paris, France)
P. Dayan (UCL, UK)
I. Nelken (Jerusalem, Israel)
J. Rinzel (NYU, USA)

LOCAL ORGANIZER:
Gwendal Le Masson (INSERM Bordeaux, France)

The Advanced Course in Computational Neuroscience is for advance 
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are interested in 
learning the essentials of the field.

We seek students of any nationality from a variety of disciplines 
including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer 
science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a 
keen interest and basic background in neurobiology as well as some 
computer experience.

The course has two complementary parts. Mornings are devoted to lectures 
  given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the 
breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest 
of the day, students are given practical training in the art and 
practice of neural modelling, by pursuing a project of their choosing 
under the close supervision of expert tutors.

The first week of the course introduces students to essential 
neurobiological concepts and to the most important techniques in 
modelling single cells, networks and neural systems. Students learn how 
to solve their research problems using software packages such as MATLAB, 
NEST, NEURON, XPP, etc. During the following three weeks the lectures 
cover specific brain areas and functions. Topics range from modelling 
single cells and subcellular processes through the simulation of simple 
circuits, large neuronal  networks and system level models of the brain. 
The course ends with project presentations by the students.

A maximum of 30 students will be accepted. Although we are actively 
raising money to reduce the fees as far as possible, the current tuition 
for the course will be EUR 750; and there will be an additional 
contribution of EUR 750 towards the costs of lodging, breakfast and 
dinner. There will be a limited number of tuition fee scholarships, 
lodging waivers and travel stipends available for students who need 
financial help for attending the course. We specifically encourage 
applications from researchers who work in the developing world. These 
students will be selected according to the normal submission procedure.

Applications, including a description of the target project must be 
submitted electronically (see below) and should be accompanied by the 
names and email details of two referees who have agreed to furnish 
references. Applications will be assessed by a committee, with selection 
being based on the following criteria: the scientific quality of the 
candidate (CV) and of the project, the recommendation letters, and 
evidence that the course will afford substantial benefit to the candidate.

More information and application forms can be obtained from:

http://www.neuroinf.org/courses/EUCOURSE/A07/index.shtml

Please apply electronically using a web browser.


Contact address:
- mail:
Florence Dancoisne,
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Freiburg
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg
Hansastrasse 9A
79104 Freiburg, Germany

- e-mail:
dancoisne at bccn.uni-freiburg.de

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  April 13th, 2007
DEADLINE FOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: April 13th, 2007

Applicants will be notified of the results of the selection procedures 
by the middle of May 2007.

FACULTY (most of whom have confirmed their attendance):
Faculty:
L. Abbott (Columbia, USA)
A. Aertsen (Freiburg, Germany)
E. Ahissar (Weizmann, Israel)
M. Ahissar (Jerusalem, Israel)
A. Arieli (Weizmann, Israel)
E. De Schutter (Antwerp, Belgium)
A. Destexhe (Gif, France)
Y. Fregnac (Gif, France)
P. Latham (UCL, UK)
R. Malach (Weizmann, Israel)
D. McAlpine (UCL, UK)
A. Pouget (Rochester, USA)
I. Segev (Jerusalem, Israel)
A. Thomson (UCL, UK)
E. Vaadia (Jerusalem, Israel)
C. van Vreeswijk (Paris, France)
L. Zhaoping (UCL, UK)

Tutors:
J. Best (Ohio State, USA)
H. Cuntz (UCL, UK)
A. Kumar (Brown, USA)
M. Rudolph (Gif, France)
T. Vogels (Columbia, USA)