Workshop
MATHEMATICS AND NEUROSCIENCE
A DIALOGUE

September 3–5, Utrecht University

Funded by: STAR cluster, Utrecht University, Eindhoven University

Summary

The recent extraordinary progress in data collection and empirical evidence on neural phenomena calls for a deeper theoretical understanding of the processes involved. Mathematics offers both a language and a general frame to achieve this understanding. Conceptual understanding — and predictive power — can only come from close collaborations between researchers in mathematical models and structures and experts in applied areas of neuroscience. This workshop intends to bring together researchers of different areas to exchange ideas, learn from each other, and identify priority directions where joint research is both needed and feasible. It proposes an informal and unassuming environment with expositions geared towards an interdisciplinary audience, focused on central issues and notions and leaving technical details for private discussions.

The workshop is free and open to all.


Participant Teams

Brazil

  • Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Institute of Biophysics (Claudia Vargas)
  • University of Sao Paulo, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics/Numec (Antonio Galves)

Denmark

  • University of Copenhagen, Mathematics Institute (Susanne Ditlevsen)
  • University of Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology
    (Rune W. Berg, Henrik Linden)

France

  • University of Cergy Pontoise, Mathematics Department (Eva Loecherbach, P. Hodara)
  • University Paris-Descartes (Paris 5), Applied Maths Laboratory (Christophe Pouzat)
  • University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Group of Probability, Statistics and Biology
    (Michèle Thieullen)
  • University of Sophia Antipolis, INRIA Neuromathcomp team (Bruno Cessac, R. Cofre)

Netherlands

  • Eindhoven Univesity, Mathematics Department (Remco van Hofstad)
  • Leiden University, Mathematics Department (Evgeny Verbitskiy)
  • Utrecht Medical Center, Dutch Connectome Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus
    (Martijn van den Heuvel, G. Collin, S. de Lange, M. de Reus, R. Schmidt)
  • Utrecht Medical Center, Brain-Computer Interface research group, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus
    (Nicolas Ramsey, E. Aarnoutse, M. Bruurmijn, M. van Steensel)
  • Utrecht University, Mathematics Department (Roberto Fernandez, organizer)


Program (tentative)

Key for rooms

BBL Buys Ballotgebouw, Princetonplein 5, De Uithof
M.I. Freudenthalgebouw (Mathematical Institute), Budapestlaan 6, De Uithof
Ruppert Ruppertgebouw, Leuvenlaan 21, De Uithof


Tuesday 3 (Place: BBL 023)

Morning session
10:00 – 10:05 R. Fernandez: Welcome
10:05 – 11:35 INRIA group (B. Cessac): Space-time correlations in spike trains and the neural code
11:35 – 12:35 Ch. Pouzat: From Neurophysiological Data to Statistical Models and Software Development
Lunch
Afternoon session
14:00 – 15:30 C. Vargas: Plasticity in the sensorimotor cortex after peripheral lesions
15:30 – 17:00 Wrap-up: Perspectives and possibilities suggested by the conferences of the day


Wednesday 4 (Place: M.I. 611)

Morning session
10:00 – 12:30 UMC Brain-Computer Interface (N. Ramsey): TBA
Lunch
Afternoon session
14:00 – 16:00 Copenhagen group (S. Ditlevsen, H. Linden, R.W. Berg):: TBA
16:00 – 17:00 M. Thieullen: Stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley Models
17:00 – 17:30 Wrap-up: Perspectives and possibilities suggested by the conferences of the day


Thursday 5

Warning: Different meeting places in the morning and the afternoon

Morning session (Place: Ruppert 033)
10:00 – 12:30 UMC, Dutch Connectome Lab (M. van den Heuvel): Network science in neuroscience
Lunch
Afternoon session (Place: M.I. 611)
14:00 – 15:00 Remco van Hofstad: Random network models and routing on weighted networks
15:00 – 17:00 Cergy-Sao Paulo group (A. Galves, E. Loecherbach): A stochastic model for biological neural nets
17:00 – 17:30 Conference wrap-up: Priorities and promising directions for the future



Last update: September 18, 2013