Workshop 2

Building the Brain

Most approaches within computational neuroscience simulate systems, brain networks, local circuits, as they are now. In recent years, homeostatic regulation has been characterized and modeled; however, for understanding diseases that have their origin in genetic defects that emerge at later age, it is important to understand how these defects interact with developmental processes that occur earlier and last longer that the typical period considered for homeostatic studies. It also important to understand from a basic science standpoint how the brain is built from the ground up and whether that leads to ‘shortcuts’ to make it possible to build realistic models for the connectivity of the mature brain and characterize the natural variability in brain structure. This workshop will discuss the building of the cortical circuit in terms of neural migration, axonal growth, and the formation of synapses.

Session: Tuesday, August 26th 10:20-12:10

Chair: Paul Tiesinga

Speakers:

Geoff Goodhill - Computational principles of axon guidance

Tomomi Shimogori - BTBD3 controls dendrite orientation toward active axons in mammalian neocortex

Rodney Douglas - Principles of neocortical self-construction

Nenad Sestan - Functional genomics of human brain development and evolution