Period of Concentration: Functional Analysis of the Nervous System
(February 17 - 28, 2003)
There was a series of talks given by visitors during the period February 17 - 28, 2003. The topics were relate to the following questions:
- What tasks are being executed by nervous systems?
- What are the algorithms implemented to carry out those tasks?
- What is the "computational architecture" used to implement those algorithms? General classes:
- Heirarchical vs. highly interconnected feedback architectures
- Serial vs. parallel computational systems representational (reactive? i.e., neural activity codes for sensory parameter) vs. Predictive (generative? i.e., activity codes for the difference between the actual and an internally-generated expectation "template")
- What are the specific, essential roles of complex dynamics in the operation of these systems? E.g., do neural ensembles operating as attractors play essential roles in the representation of information or in signal processing.
- How have nervous system architectures and computational strategies adapted to the statistics of natural scenes?
- Higher-order statistical nature of visual, auditory and olfactory scenes
- Significance of efficient, adaptive coding schemes for capturing scene statistics, from signal processing and systems engineering perspectives
- Behavioral and evolutionary significance of efficient, adaptive coding schemes
- What are the mechanisms through which nervous systems adapt to scene statistics?
- Short-term adaptation (ms. to seconds): biophysics of cell conductances and synapses
- Intermediate term adaptation (seconds to days): synaptic plasticity and morphological "rewiring"
- Long-term adaptation (days to years): development of large-scale architectural features
Schedule |
Monday, February 17 | ||
| 1:30pm | Peter Foldiak | ||
| Tuesday, February 18 | |||
| 4:30pm | Charles Anderson | ||
| Wednesday, February 19 | |||
| 1:30pm | Charles Anderson | ||
| Thursday, February 20 | |||
| 4:30pm | Charles Anderson | ||
| Monday, February 24 | |||
| 1:30pm | Peter Foldiak | ||
| Tuesday, February 25 | |||
| 2:30pm | Barry Richmond | ||
| 4:30pm | John Hertz | ||
| Wednesday, February 26 | |||
| 10:30am | Eero Simoncelli | ||
| 1:15pm | Mandyam Srinivasan | ||
| Thursday, February 27 | |||
| 10:30am | Eero Simoncelli | ||
| 1:15pm | Mandyam Srinivasan | ||
| 2:30pm | Barry Richmond | ||
Participants:
- Charles Anderson (Washington University School of Medicine)
- Alla Borisyuk (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Gheorghe Craciun (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Sanjay Danthi (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Daniel Dougherty (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Peter Foldiak (University of St. Andrews)
- John Hertz (Nordita)
- Katarzyna Rejniak (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Barry Richmond (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Eero Simoncelli (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)
- Mandyam Srinivasan (Australian National University)
- Martin Wechselberger (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
- Geraldine Wright (Mathematical Biosciences Institute-OSU)
