Background

The human brain is a complex network of some 100 billion neurons. Together this network processes inputs coming from both the outside and our own body, determining our behavioural responses and inner states.
A challenging task for all brain sciences is to combine experimental investigations with theoretical models of individual neurons and neuronal networks at the micro- and macroscale. The ability to combine these different approaches is of key importance to gain a better understanding of how the brain works in health and disease.

Goals of the workshop

The Networked Brain workshop aims to gather researchers studying brain circuits and brain networks from different angles and using different study approaches.  The suggested speakers represent a vast repertoire of expertise and have different backgrounds (medicine, biology, mathematics, engineering, social and cognitive sciences) The meeting is intended to stimulate discussions potentially leading to new collaborations and projects. 

When: 17 June 2023 at 8.30 to 15.30

Venue: Forum Medicum, room BMC:E16003. This is a new meeting room with space for 50 people, located in the top floor of newly built Forum Medicum. The room communicates with terraces offering views over the entire Lund city, and has an adjoining space for lunch and coffee breaks (“fika”).

Primary audience researchers and registration (estimate: 40-50 attendants):
The topic is of interest to researchers across the “NAC — 1,2, many” programme, both those working on specific animal models (i.e. N-1) and those studying the functioning of brain networks (i.e. the “many”) using experimental and theoretical approaches.

To participate is free of charge. Sign up for participation at ai.lu.se/2024-06-17/registration/ no later than 1 June.

The workshop is supported by:

• MultiPark - Multidisciplinary research focused on Parkinson´s disease at Lund University
• AI Lund

Programme

8.30 Check-in, morning fika/mingle

9.00 Morning session

09.00 The Mathematician's Brain: Exploring Networks, Neuronal Oscillations, and Collective Dynamics
Erik Martens, Centre of Mathematical Sciences, LTH

09.30 Using mathematics to shed light on mechanisms of neurodynamics: examples and challenges
Stephen Coombes, School of Mathematical Sciences, Nottingham, UK

Origin and dynamic consequences of spatial inhomogeneities in biological neural networks
Arvind Kumar, KTH, Stockholm

10:30 Coffee break 1

11.00 Connectome-based modelling of neurodegenerative diseases
Jacob W. Vogel, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Medical Faculty, Lund University

11.30 Modeling cognition with system-level brain models
Christian Balkenius, Cognitive Science, Lund University

12.00 Lunch

 Salad or sandwiches, depending on the number of participants.

12.45 Afternoon session

12:45  Breakout groups to identity common areas of interest and possible future joint projects

14:30 Coffee break 2

15:00-15:30 General discussion
led by Pär Halje, Medical Faculty, Lund University

Organisation

• angela.cenci_nilsson@med.lu.se
• per.petersson@umu.se
• par.halje@med.lu.se
• Jonas Wisbrant, NAC, Lund University