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Upcoming Events

The eighth international workshop on Statistical Analysis of Neural Data (SAND8) will take place May 31-June 2, 2017

When Jun 02 2017 09:00 EDT
Where University of Pittsburgh
Who CNBC
SAND8 will begin with a morning-long panel discussion on “Emerging Challenges of Brain Science Data,” and will end with several talks that connect statistical analysis to mathematical modeling. In between there will be keynote talks by senior investigators and shorter presentations by junior investigators, the...

Past Events

Functional roles of reciprocal connections in mouse fronto-parietal cortex

When Apr 26 2017 11:00 EDT
Where MI 187
Who Takashi Sato, M.D., Ph.D.
Head of Research Group, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen Abstract: Cortical areas are intertwined with networks of reciprocal connectivity. Such connectivity distributes cortical computation across multiple areas. However, the circuit logic underlying the connectivity is unknown. Here we report the basic principle behind...

Neural circuits underlying motor skill learning and execution

When Apr 25 2017 16:30 EDT
Where Doherty Hall A302
Who Bence Olveczky, Ph.D
Professor, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Abstract: I will introduce a new motor skill learning paradigm that trains stereotyped complex motor sequences in rodents. Targeted lesions show that motor cortex is essential for learning these skills, but not...

Circuit organization of mouse motor cortex

When Apr 07 2017 16:00 EDT
Where 6014 Biomedical Science Tower 3
Who Gordon M.G. Shepherd, MD, Ph.D
Associate Professor Department of Physiology Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

How do multiple memory systems give rise to behavior?

When Mar 29 2017 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Catherine Thorn, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit, Pfizer Abstract: My research aims to understand how synaptic level changes in basal ganglia and hippocampal circuits underlie memory encoding and behavioral learning, and how these processes break down in neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. This talk will highlight...

Functional flexibility: Global arousal and regulation of cortical circuits in health and disease

When Mar 23 2017 16:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Jessica A. Cardin, Ph.D
Assistant Professor Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine Yale University Abstract: The cerebral cortex plays key roles in perception and cognition. Cortical function is enormously flexible and adapts rapidly to changes in the surrounding sensory environment as we move through the world. Spontaneous and sensory-evoked...

Optogenetic and tissue clearing approaches to understand and influence whole-animal physiology and behavior

When Mar 23 2017 15:00 EDT
Where Scaife Hall 125 (at CMU)
Who Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering, Heritage Principal Investigator CALTECH, Pasadena, CA Abstract: Our research group at Caltech employs optogenetics, chemogenetics, tissue clearing, and viral vectors to gain new insights on circuits underlying locomotion, reward, and sleep. In particular we will discuss how bidirectional...

Panoramic multiphoton views into neural activity during higher visual processing

When Mar 16 2017 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Spencer LaVere Smith, Ph.D
Neuroscience Center, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities & Department of Cell Biology & Physiology University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Abstract: The visual system transforms pixel-level data into a perception of the world and our place in it. This computation is complex, and challenging for even...

Imaging neuronal dynamics during sensory integration in rats

When Mar 08 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Benjamin Scott, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton Neuroscience Institute Princeton University Abstract: To survive in dynamic environments animals have evolved the capacity to combine previous sensory experiences to guide decision-making. In mammals, the integration of past sensory experience is thought to involve the activity of large groups of neurons...

Primary visual cortex encodes orientation-invariant attributes of complex images: Mice CAN see, better than previously appreciated!

When Mar 03 2017 09:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Social Room
Who Patricia Stan
Graduate Student, Kuhlman-Lab, Carnegie Mellon University Abstract: Significance: Using population decoding algorithms we discovered that attribute-invariance is represented at the earliest stages of cortical processing. This is interesting because invariance, a key aspect of object recognition that is typically studied as size-invariance or object rotation-invariance,...

Adaptive Control of Innate Reflexes by Visual Cortex

When Mar 01 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Baohua Liu, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Francisco Abstract: The brain is capable of modifying its structures and functions to adapt to existing conditions, a form of plasticity vital for animal’s survival in changing environments. Mammalian nerve systems have superior adaptability compared to the primitive ones...

Motor cortical influence during movement execution

When Feb 22 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Andrew Miri, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University Abstract: When and how the motor cortex influences movement remains uncertain. The behavioral consequences of motor cortical inactivation suggest a circumscribed role. Yet across a broad array of behaviors including those that survive inactivation, motor cortical activity is correlated with muscle...

The Cortico-Striosomal Circuit: a regulator of conflict decision-making with a link to stress-related disorders

When Feb 15 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Alexander Friedman, PhD
Research Scientist, McGovern Institute for Brain Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology Abstract: A striking neurochemical form of compartmentalization has been found in the striatum of humans and other species, dividing it into striosomes and matrix. The function of this organization has been unclear, but the...

Pathway Toward Vision Restoration, Artificial Vision, Artificial Retina, Optogenetics

When Feb 10 2017 15:00 EST
Where GHC 6115
Who José Alain Sahel, MD
Professor & Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology University of Pittsburgh School of Mediciney Abstract: Progress in ophthalmology over the past decade moved preclinical data to clinical proof-of-concept studies bringing innovative therapeutic strategies to the market. Diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD)...

The value of action: dissecting how the brain makes value and movement decisions

When Feb 08 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Eric Yttri, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate Laboratory of Dr. Joshua T. Dudman HHMI Janelia Research Campus Abstract: Deciding what actions to perform is central to how our inner selves interact with the outer world, a reality that is often not fully realized until these abilities are lost. The basal...

Inhibitory Shaping of Sensory Signals during Active Touch

When Feb 01 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Jianing Yu, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate Laboratory of Dr. Karel Svoboda HHMI Janelia Research Campus Abstract: Active movements of sensors, such as digits and limbs, are essential for animals to interact with the external environment. Movement itself produces sensory signals, known as reafference, which are intertwined with sensory input...

Building and Rebuilding Neural Circuits: Lessons from the Olfactory System

When Jan 30 2017 09:30 EST
Where A219B Langley Hall
Who Claire Cheetham,PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University

Development of enabling technologies for optical imaging of biological systems

When Jan 25 2017 12:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute, Conference Room
Who Yongxin Zhao, Ph.D.
Synthetic Neurobiology Group, MIT Media lab Abstract: Modern optical microscopy has greatly advanced our ability to study biological systems. However, in order to deepen our understanding of complex biological mechanisms, we require improved tools for probing the dynamics of cellular activities and mapping large-scale biological...

Arithmetic and neural circuits underlying dopamine prediction errors

When Dec 13 2016 10:00 EST
Where Mellon Institute, Room 348
Who Naoshige Uchida,PhD
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Harvard Huinversity

Synaptic inhibition can alter forward suppression in auditory cortex of awake mice

When Dec 02 2016 15:30 EST
Where Biomedical Science Tower, Room 1695
Who Andrea Hasenstaub,PhD
Assistant Professor in the Coleman Memorial Laboratories in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) at the University of California, San Francisco. Abstract: Numerous experimental paradigms, such as forward suppression, critical-band measurements, and stimulus-specific adaptation, have revealed context-dependent computations at multiple stages of the...

Neural mechanisms underlying visual object recognition

When Nov 03 2016 16:00 EDT
Where 6014 Biomedical Science Tower 3
Who Jim DiCarlo, MD,PhD
About the presenter: Peter de Florez Professor of Neuroscience Head, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences McGovern Institute for Brain Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology Abstract: Visual object recognition is a fundamental building block of memory and cognition, and a central problem in systems neuroscience,...

Local and external circuit influences on neural computation in the striatum

When Nov 02 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Sotiris Masmanidis, Ph.D.
About the presenter: Assistant Professor, Neurobiology University of California Los Angeles Abstract: The ability to use learned associations between environmental cues and appetitive outcomes is a critical aspect of behavior. The striatum is a brain area that is implicated in learning and performing reward-conditioned behaviors....

Assessing Causal Interactions in Neural Circuits

When Oct 20 2016 16:00 EDT
Where Room 157 Benedum Hall (Auditorium)
Who Mingzhou Ding, PhD
About the presenter: J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering University of Florida Abstract: Multielectrode neurophysiological recording and functional brain imaging produce massive quantities of data. Multivariate time series analysis provides the basic framework for analyzing the patterns of...

A neural circuit that regulates cortical state and enhances plasticity

When Oct 12 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Eye & Ear Institute Room 520
Who Michael Stryker, PhD
About the presenter: Professor of Physiology University of California, San Francisco Sponsored by the Fox Center for Vision Restoration

Leveraging Cognitive Science for Robotic 'Brains'

When Sep 29 2016 12:00 EDT
Where 328 Mellon Institute
Who Patryk Laurent, PhD
About the presenter: a senior scientist at Brain Corporation, San Diego, CA ABSTRACT: Today autonomous robots remain confined to controlled laboratory settings, factory environments, or to artificial games. In part, this is because of challenges they face in making sense of the real world. Vision...

Circuits for Contextual integration in primary visual cortex: circuits, mechanism, and function

When Sep 28 2016 12:00 EDT
Where BST S120
Who Alessandra Angelucci, MD/PhD
About the presenter: Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Utah http://neuroscience.med.utah.edu/Faculty/Angelucci.html.

DISCOVERING FUNCTIONAL NEUROAL CIRCUITS

When Sep 13 2016 16:30 EDT
Where NEWELL SIMON HALL, ROOM 3305
Who David McCormick, PhD
About the presenter: Doris McConnell Duberg Professor of Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at Yale University Dr. McCormick received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in mathematics and a Bachelor’s of Art degree in experimental psychology from Purdue University in 1979. He then received a Ph.D....

GHBS Seminar: Calcium imaging of mouse V1

When Aug 12 2016 09:00 EDT
Where 3rd floor Social Room, Mellon Institute
Who Janne Kauttonen, PhD
About the presenter: Postdoctoral Fellow in Kuhlman Lab. In this brief talk, I will talk about our efforts in development of data-analysis pipeline, initial results of ongoing experiments and plans for an upcoming experiment related to locomotion as a modulator of inter-layer neural dynamics in...

Scaling Properties of Dimensionality Reduction for Neural Populations and Network Models

When Aug 02 2016 09:30 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115
Who Ryan Williamson
About the presenter: Abstract: Recent studies have applied dimensionality reduction methods to understand how the multi-dimensional structure of neural population activity gives rise to brain function. It is unclear, however, how the results obtained from dimensionality reduction generalize to recordings with larger numbers of neurons...

Genetically dissecting circuit plasticity in the mouse olfactory system

When Jul 19 2016 10:00 EDT
Where 1495 Biomedical Science Tower
Who Benjamin Arenkiel PhD
About the presenter: Associate Professor, Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine Department of Neurobiology and The Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital

PhD Dissertation Defense: Novel Cell Types and Circuits in the Mouse Main Olfactory Bulb

When Jul 18 2016 09:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute, Social Room
Who Shawn D. Burton
About the presenter: Department of Biological Sciences Carnegie Mellon University Abstract: The mammalian brain contains a vast diversity of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. The identification of cell type-selective molecular markers has fostered tremendous insight into how distinct cortical interneurons shape sensory processing and behavior. In the...

July MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When Jul 12 2016 12:30 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115, Conference Room
Who
Agenda: Presentation from Doiron’s Lab followed by discussion. Brent Dorion will be discussing his works on the neuronal variability, cordial circuits and dynamics. This meant to be a informal talk aims at building bridges to the MICrONS project.

Realistic neuronal modelling. Is it realistic?

When Jul 12 2016 10:00 EDT
Where 1495 Biomedical Science Tower
Who Alon Korngreen, PhD
About the presenter: Associate Professor, Cellular and Computational Neurophysiology, Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel Alon’s interests are primarily single neuron biophysics of cortical neurons and synaptic dynamics of neurons in the basal ganglia. His work combines patch clamp recording in vitro with large realistic simulations. http://www.korngreenlab.org/#!themes/c1rvh...

July MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When Jul 11 2016 12:30 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115, Conference Room
Who
Agenda: Presentation of Wenhao Zhang from Lee Lab followed by discussion. His talk will be about his PhD work on multi-sensory integration and the title is “Congruent and Opposite neurons: sisters for concurrent multi-sensory integration and segregation”. Abstract:Experiments reveal that in the dorsal medial superior...

Prefrontal Control of Visual Cortical Signals; Neuronal Basis and Neuromodulators

When Jul 11 2016 11:30 EDT
Where Mellon Institute room 328
Who Behrad Noudoost, MD PhD
About the presenter: Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience Montana State University Abstract: Cognitive functions such as attention and working memory are an integral part of our daily life. A core region in the control of cognitive functions is the prefrontal cortex, which...

June MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When Jun 17 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115, Conference Room
Who
Agenda: Presentation of Yuille Lab and Xiaolong Wang from Gupta Lab followed by discussion. Discussion of organizing the CMU IARPA site visit. Lunch will be provided.

Understanding the neural circuits of itch and pain

When Jun 01 2016 16:00 EDT
Where BST3 6014
Who Sarah E. Ross, Ph.D.
About Speaker:Assistant Professor Department of Neurobiology Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research University of Pittsburgh small>

March MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When May 23 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115, conference room
Who
Agenda: Presentation of neural data and models, followed by discussion. Lunch will be provided.

State of the Art panel on "Circuits”

When May 17 2016 14:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Social Room
Who Alison Barth, Aryn Gittis, Anne-Marie Oswald, and Nathan Urban
Question to address for discussion: What do we mean by “circuits”? How do we link circuits to computation, cognition, and behavior? What have we learned so far and what are the current challenges? How can we meet those challenges and what does the CNBC bring...

Functional Organization of Local Circuits and Synapses in the Central Auditory System

When May 12 2016 14:00 EDT
Where 1495 Biomedical Science Tower
Who Paul B. Manis, PhD
About the presenter: Professor and Chief, Division of Research Training and Education Dept. Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Probabilistic Brain

When May 11 2016 16:00 EDT
Where Location @ CMU TBA
Who Alexandre Pouget PhD
About the presenter: Basic Neuroscience Department University of Geneva, Andrew Carnegie Prize in Mind and Brain Sciences Most computations performed by the brain are subject to large amount of uncertainty because sensory inputs are noisy and ambiguous. As Laplace and Hemlholtz have pointed out over...

Genetic dissection of cortical circuit organization and assembly - chandeliers light up pyramids

When Apr 20 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute Conference Room
Who Josh Huang, Ph.D.,Cold Spring Harbor Labs
About the presenter Josh Huang, Ph.D. Abstract: Despite their immense complexity and sophisticated operations that underlie mental functioning, the fundamental plan for the cellular organization of cerebral cortex is encoded in the genome, which directs cascades of developmental programs in each fetus. Therefore, genetic approaches...

Genetic insights into the functional organization of sensorimotor circuits in the spinal cord

When Apr 19 2016 16:00 EDT
Where Ballroom A, University Club
Who Martyn Goulding, PhD
About the presenter Martyn Goulding, PhD Professor, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory Frederick W. and Joanna J. Mitchell Chair Salk Institute for Biological Studies. http://goulding.salk.edu/

March MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When Apr 18 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Mellon Institute 115, conference room
Who
Agenda: Presentation of neural data and models, followed by discussion. Lunch will be provided.

Generating and shaping novel action repertoires

When Apr 14 2016 16:00 EDT
Where 6014 Biomedical Science Tower 3
Who Rui M. Costa, D.V.M., Ph.D.
About the presenter Rui M. Costa, D.V.M., Ph.D.Director of Research, Champalimaud Foundation Senior Investigator Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme Champalimaud Foundation Portugal Abstract: Some actions are innate or prewired (such as swallowing or breathing). Others are learned anew throughout life, likely through a process of trial and...

FDA 101

When Apr 13 2016 16:30 EDT
Where Gates 7101
Who Gupta Ph.D.
In this seminar, Dr. Gupta will be sharing her experiences with regulatory agencies, specifically the Food & Drug Administration, to help CMU researchers and entrepreneurs in medical products appreciate the regulatory standards as well as opportunitites for expedited development and approval of a well-differentiated product....

A proposed role for cortical feedback in the identification of odors in complex olfactory scenes

When Apr 13 2016 12:00 EDT
Where 1495 Biomedical Science Tower
Who Gonzalo Otazu, PhD
A proposed role for cortical feedback in the identification of odors in complex olfactory scenes About the presenter Gonzalo Otazu Postdoctoral Fellow, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Sponsored by The Department of Neurobiology, Pittsburgh University

Whole-brain views of network activity underlying spontaneous and trained behavior in zebrafish

When Mar 24 2016 16:30 EDT
Where Scaife Hall 125, Carnegie Mellon University
Who Misha Ahrens, PhD, Group Leader, Janelia Farm
Many important behaviors arise from the joint activity of large numbers neurons spread over multiple brain areas. We use a combination of light-sheet microscopy and a virtual reality setup to image activity in almost the entire brain (~100k neurons) of fictively behaving larval zebrafish. Our...

March MICrONS @ CMU monthly meeting

When Mar 21 2016 12:00 EDT
Where Gates Hillman Center 7101
Who
Agenda: Discussion and critique of the scientific proposal and plan. Organizational issues on format and content of future monthly meetings and collaborative projects. Lunch will be provided.

Investigating Properties of Neural Circuits via Ca++ Imaging Based Brain Computer Interface in Mice

When Mar 16 2016 15:30 EDT
Where 3rd floor Conference Room, Mellon Institute
Who Brian Jeon
Bio Journal Club Website

Functional Neuronal Assemblies for Information Processing

When Mar 15 2016 12:00 EDT
Where 3rd floor Conference Room, Mellon Institute
Who Wei-Chung Lee, Ph.D.
Abstract: Neuronal circuits are made of thousands of interconnected local networks containing thousands of neurons connected by millions of synapses. A precise understanding of these local circuits requires relating neuronal physiology with the underlying network structure. First, I’ll discuss work combining physiological imaging and large-scale...

Making and Breaking Neuronal Ensembles

When Mar 04 2016 09:00 EST
Where 3rd floor Social Room, Mellon Institute
Who Sandra Kuhlman, Ph.D.

Learning induced plasticity in visual cortex: A project proposal

When Mar 02 2016 15:30 EST
Where 3rd floor Conference Room, Mellon Institute
Who Natalie McGuier, Ph.D.
Bio Journal Club Website

The Functional Logic of Cortical Circuits

When Feb 29 2016 16:00 EST
Where Gates Hillman Center 6115
Who Prof. Mriganka Sur
The computational power of the human brain derives from its neuronal wiring. The brain has about 100 billion neurons, and each neuron connects with hundreds of other neurons via thousands of synapses. Thus, the brain has over 100 trillion (10**14) synapses - this staggering number...