Connectionists: International Workshop on The Versatile Action of Noise, June22-27, 2014 in Bremen

[Meyer-Ortmanns, Hildegard]

Dear Colleagues,

we are organizing an international workshop on
The Versatile Action of Noise: Applications from Genetic to Neural Circuits
at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany
from June 22-27, 2014.
http://noise-workshop.user.jacobs-university.de/


Stochastic mechanisms, often summarized under "noise", are ubiquitous in artificial and biological networks. In applications to genetic circuits the goal is to trace back the various manifestations of noise to a few sources on underlying levels like the stochastic fluctuations in biochemical reactions, to follow the propagation and modification of noise towards the cellular level and to pursue the interaction of different sources of noise with respect to their mutual repression or amplification. In applications to neural systems the focus is on microscopic noise, e.g. the thermal fluctuations on channel dynamics, the effect of synaptic noise on neuronal firing, but also on large-scale collective fluctuations of brain areas, information loss, effects of large-scale noise on attention and decision-making, as well as on bridges between the different levels. A comparison between both types of applications should reveal parallels in how natural systems transform or utilize noise. It is the tools of theoretical physics that provide a deeper understanding of its role, in particular when it acts counterintuitive. Advanced methods from statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics allow for predicting the action of noise on excitable media like neural systems, extinction events in various populations and noise-induced rare events.

We invite applications from graduate students, PhD students and postdocs with a background in theoretical physics, applied mathematics with an interest in biological applications and neuroscience. Applicants from the experimental side should be interested in the mathematical modeling and analysis of experimental data.

The fee is 150 Euro for early registration until April 30 and 250 Euro afterwards, including accommodation in the guesthouse on campus and all meals, for the period of the workshop. The workshop is generously supported by the WE-Heraeus foundation.

For registration please visit our website.  Selected abstracts will be invited for oral presentation, we shall also have  poster sessions.

Kind regards

Hildegard Meyer-Ortmanns and Alberto Bernacchia

Invited speakers:


Michael Assaf * (Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem);Jan Benda * (Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen);Michael Breakspear * (QIMR and UNSW Berghofer, Sidney, Australia);Thierry Emonet * (Yale University, New Haven, U.S.A.);Tobias Galla * (Manchester University, Manchester);Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo * (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona );Benjamin Lindner * (Humboldt University, Berlin);Wolfgang Maass * (Graz Technical University, Graz);Ralf Metzler * (Potsdam University, Potsdam);Sidney R. Nagel (The University of Chicago, U.S.A.);Simone Pigolotti * (Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona);Joachim Rädler * (Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich);Jaime de la Rocha (*) (Institut D' Invest. Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona);Lutz Schimansky-Geier*(Humboldt University, Berlin);Susanne Schreiber *(Humboldt University, Berlin);Pieter Rein Ten Wolde * (FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam);Raúl Toral * (IFISC, UIB-CSIC, Palma de Mallorca)
*confirmed


Topics include:
§  The effects of extrinsic noise on cellular decision making;
§  Correlated fluctuations in genetic networks;
§  Propagation of noise of sequential gene regulation;
§  Error rates in biological copying;
§  Single cell response and decision making under noise;
§  The generation of transcriptional noise in bacteria;
§  Costs and benefits of biochemical noise;
§  Noise in large-scale cortical rhythms;
§  Noise-induced order in collective neural populations;
§  Computations by noisy networks of spiking neurons
§  Noise and irregular firing in cortical circuits;
§  Cellular mechanisms of temperature-compensation in receptor neurons;
§  Coherent noise, scale invariance and intermittency in large systems;
§  Shaping noise for population success;
§  Quasi-cycles induced by noise;
§  Interplay between noise and delay.
§

Scientific Organization

Prof. Dr. Hildegard Meyer-Ortmanns<http://www.jacobs-university.de/ses/meyer-ortmanns/> / Statistical Physics Group / Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH / School of Engineering and Science / Campus Ring 8 / 28759 Bremen / Germany / Tel: ++49 (0) 421 / 200-3221 / Tel: ++49 (0) 421 / 200-3249 / Email: h.ortmanns at jacobs-university.de<mailto:%20h.orthmanns at jacobs-university.de>

Prof. Dr. Alberto Bernacchia<http://abernacchi.user.jacobs-university.de/> / Computational Neuroscience Group / Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH / School of Engineering and Science / Campus Ring 6 / 28759 Bremen / Germany / Tel: ++49 (0) 421 / 200-3542 / Tel: ++49 (0) 421 / 200-3249 / Email: a.bernacchia at jacobs-university.de<mailto:%20a.bernacchia at jacobs-university.de>
__________________________________________________
Dr. Hildegard Meyer-Ortmanns, Professor of Physics

School of Engineering and Science
Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
P.O. Box 750561  |  28725 Bremen | Germany
Phone:   +49 (0) 421 200 3221           | Fax:         +49 (0) 421 200 3229
Office:    Campus Ring 8, room 64  | 28759 Bremen | Germany

h.ortmanns at jacobs-university.de
http://www.jacobs-university.de
http://www.jacobs-university.de/ses/meyer-ortmanns/

______________________________________________
Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117
CEO / Geschäftsführerin: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katja Windt
Chair Board of Governors: Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte

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