BCS meeting archive.

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Fall Semester 2010-2011

For Spring semester 2010-2011

NOTE: It's coming time to start thinking of next semester's overarching theme. One possibility is "Synaptic plasticity", a broad topic that could include molecular mechanisms as well as population-level patterns of perceptual learning, LTP as well as neuromodulator-regulated changes.  As a BCS topic, of course, the intent would be to choose approaches relevant to behavioral, computational, and systems-level questions.  The relevance/necessity of bidirectional regulation of plasticity would be a prime topic.  Following up on synchrony-dependent timing properties of synaptic plasticity mechanisms would establish a common thread with this semester's theme.  Another, somewhat related theme is a neuroscience version of statistical learning:  anything from perceptual learning to Bayesian representations of coding to temporal difference learning to dopamine (Schultz model) to the underlying synaptic rules that give rise to relevant population level learning properties to optimality of the Bayesian brain.  Thoughts?  other ideas?  Send them to Thom or bring them up at BCS. 

Another idea:  Mechanisms of memory consolidation and reconsolidation -- perhaps a more focused version of "synaptic plasticity" as above.  These topics are much more well understood and diverse than they were even a few years ago, and they are leading to a number of exciting hypotheses about systems and behavioral integrative mechanisms.  For example, see Nader & Einarsson (2010) Ann NY Acad Sci 1191:27-41, as well as Jonathan L.C. Lee's recent Nature Neuroscience paper (2008) and Trends in Neurosciences opinion (2010).  

Spring Semester 2009-2010

For Spring semester 2009-2010, the Behavioral, Computational, and Systems Neuroscience (BCS) Journal Club will meet on Tuesdays from 12:00 to 1:15 pm in Uris Hall 205. 

The overarching theme this semester is Oscillations Systems of neuronal representation and learning.  Adhering to this theme is not required, but is strongly recommended.  Please interpret it broadly. Theories of gamma, beta, and theta oscillations in the nervous system are the centroid of intent, but alpha, sleep, circadian, etc. rhythms are also spot-on as are reasonably accessible dynamical systems topics from math and engineeringIt is intended to include such diverse topics as:  the systematic regulation of synaptic plasticity, Bayesian representations (including sensory representations as probability estimates), Bayesian and/or energetic optimality in neural encoding or transmission, perceptual learning, decision-making (including reward harvesting), temporal difference learning/dopamine (Schultz model), synaptic rules that give rise to systems-level learning properties. 

To add yourself to the BCS-L mailing list, send a plain-text email to bcs-L-request@cornell.edu with the body of the message saying simply join.  The subject line doesn't matter.  Sending the message leave instead will unsubscribe you from the list.  See Cornell's Lyris HowTo page for further details. 

Please contact Thomas Cleland or David Smith with any questions (David Smith is on walkabout this semester).  BCS meeting archive.

26 January 2010:  Organizational Meeting

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