Connectionists: Advanced Course in Computational Neuroscience 2014

[Máté Lengyel]

ADVANCED COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
August 3 - 30, 2014, FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany
http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/

*** NOTE EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS ***

Applications accepted: February 10, 2014 – March 31, 2014

SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORS:
* Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel)
* Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA)
* Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK)
* Christian Machens (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Portugal)

LOCAL ORGANIZERS:
* Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany)
* Hermann Cuntz (FIAS & ESI, Frankfurt, Germany)

FUNDING:
FENS, IBRO, FIAS, MPI Brain Research, Hertie Foundation

The ACCN is for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are interested in learning the essentials of the field of computational neuroscience.

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 pursue a project of their choosing under the close supervision of expert tutors. This gives them practical training in the art and practice of neural modeling.

The first week of the course introduces students to essential neurobiological concepts and to the most important techniques in modeling single cells, synapses and circuits. Students learn how to solve their research problems using software such as MATLAB, NEST, NEURON, Python, XPP, etc. During the following three weeks the lectures cover networks and specific neural systems and functions. Topics range from modeling 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.

The course is designed for students 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. Students of any nationality can apply.

Essential details:
* Course size: about 30 students.
* Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, meals and excursions): EUR 750.
* Scholarships and travel stipends are available.

* Application start: February 10, 2014
* Application deadline: March 23, 2014
* Deadline for letters of recommendation: March 23, 2014
* Notification of results: May, 2014

Information and application
http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/

Contact address:
accn at fias.uni-frankfurt.de

FACULTY
Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA), Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA), Charles Wilson (University of Texas, San Antonio, USA), Michael Hausser (University College London, UK), Sophie Deneve (Ecole Normale Superieure, France), Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal), Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Germany), Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Carl van Vreeswijk (CNRS Paris, France), Peter Dayan (University College London, UK), Joern Diedrichsen (University College London, UK), Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK), Zhaoping Li (University College London, UK), Tatjana Tchumatchenko (MPI for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany), Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Merav Ahissar (Hebrew University, Israel), Nava Rubin (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain)

General Interest Lectures:
Hans-Joachim Pflueger (Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany), Erin Schuman (MPI for Brain Research, Germany), Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), J. Kevin O'Regan (Paris Descartes University, France)

Tutors:
Daniel Miner (Frankfurt, Germany), Andreea Lazar (Frankfurt, Germany), Wieland Brendel (Lisbon / Tuebingen, Portugal / Germany), Sina Tootoonian (Cambridge, UK), Peter Jedlicka (Frankfurt, Germany)

SECRETARY DURING THE COURSE
Chris Ploegaert (University of Antwerp, Belgium)

-- 
Mate Lengyel, PhD
Computational and Biological Learning Lab
Cambridge University Engineering Department
Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
tel: +44 (0)1223 748 532, fax:  +44 (0)1223 332 662
email: m.lengyel at eng.cam.ac.uk
web: www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~m.lengyel