Connectionists: SCGB Virtual Postdoc/Student Meeting: Monday, March 14 by James Roach

[Laura Long]

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student
meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and
dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New
York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to
connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We
would love to see you at our next Global meeting! Please see event details
and the Zoom link below.



SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-277170363017


Monday, March 14th, 1pm Eastern Time

https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/97652465539?pwd=YkdYaTBGOGU0c1NyUzV1d1JrNDlXZz09

    Passcode: 188122




*James Roach*Postdoctoral Researcher, Churchland Laboratory
University of California, Los Angeles
*Two roles for choice selective inhibition in decision-making circuits*

During perceptual decision-making, the firing rates of cortical neurons
reflect upcoming choices. Recent work showed that excitatory and inhibitory
neurons are equally selective for choice. However, the functional
consequences of inhibitory choice selectivity in decision-making circuits
are unknown. We developed a circuit model of decision-making which accounts
for the specificity of inputs to and outputs from inhibitory neurons. We
found that selective inhibition expands the space of circuits supporting
decision-making, allowing for weaker or stronger recurrent excitation when
connected in a competitive or feedback motif. The specificity of inhibitory
outputs sets the trade-off between speed and accuracy of decisions by
altering the attractor dynamics in the circuit. Recurrent neural networks
trained to make decisions display the same dependence on inhibitory
specificity and the strength of recurrent excitation. Our results reveal
two concurrent roles for selective inhibition in decision-making circuits:
stabilizing strongly connected excitatory populations and maximizing
competition between oppositely selective populations.


*Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD
students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After
Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in
staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these
breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to
chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support.

Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-277170363017

Please contact Laura Long at llong at simonsfoundation.org with any questions.
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