Announcement: Workshop on Neuroinformatics

Andreas V. M. Herz (a.herz@biologie.hu-berlin.de)
Mon, 06 Apr 1998 12:05:41 +0200

WORKSHOP ON NEUROINFORMATICS -- POTSDAM, 6/24/98-6/27/98:

Sponsored by the European Commission DGXII Biotechnology Programme
and the DGIII Esprit Programme

Hotel Voltaire, Potsdam, Germany
June 24 noon -- June 27 noon, 1998

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GOAL OF THE WORKSHOP:
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The Workshop aims at exploring and promoting interactions and
exchanges between scientists from different communities -- Computer and
Information Science, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Neuroscience.
The Workshop will also try to overview a variety of scientific fields
related to Neuroinformatics. Five major topics will be discussed in
special sessions:

- Databases in Neuroscience 6/24, afternoon
- Neuroimages and Brain Imaging 6/25, morning
- Artificial Systems and Neuroscience 6/25, afternoon
- Analysis of Electrical Activity in the Nervous System 6/26, morning
- Brain Theories and Modelling 6/26, afternoon

Each session will have 5 presentations of 30 minutes each and a
general discussion of about 1 hour. During the general discussion
some of the invited discussants will present their views in short
presentations. In addition, a concluding discussion on the scope and
goals of Neuroinformatics is planned for the morning of 6/27.

The five sessions will address some questions we believe to be highly
important for the future development of Neuroinformatics. For instance
the major theme of the first session is the evaluation of databases
in Neuroscience, their structure and their potential impact on the
field. The session on Neuroimages will focus on the relevance of
techniques developed in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition for
the processing of brain images and histological images. The session on
Artificial Systems and Neuroscience will discuss how the development
of artificial systems, such as robots, may contribute to a better
understanding of biological systems and vice versa. The session
on the Analysis of Electrical Analysis in the Nervous System will
primarily discuss theoretical and mathematical tools for analysing spike
patterns of single neurons and neural systems. The session on Brain
Theories will try to evaluate the current status of the theoretical
understanding of the nervous system. Finally, a concluding discussion
will try to highlight the most promising cross-relations between
Neuroscience and Computer Science and to establish the scope and goals
of Neuroinformatics.

The Workshop will foster interactions between various scientific
communities. Therefore we expect speakers to present overviews of their
work with the aim of establishing fruitful discussions and interactions
with scientists from different fields.

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INVITED SPEAKERS AND PRELIMINARY PROGRAM:
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June 24, 1998

12:00 Begin of Registration
13:00-14:30 Lunch

June 24, 1998 -- Afternoon Session: Databases in Neuroscience

15.00-15.30 Per Roland
15.30-16.00 Kim Kaiser
16.00-16.30 Jason Mirsky
16.30-17.00 Coffee Break
17.00-17.30 Jeff Grethe
17.30-18.00 Arthur Toga
18.00-19.00 Discussion

June 25, 1998 -- Morning Session: Neuroimages and Brain Imaging

9.00 - 9.30 Alan Colchester
9.30 -10.00 Amiram Grinvald
10.00-10.30 Jim Mazziotta
10.30-11.00 Coffee Break
11.00-11.30 Guido Gerig
11.30-12.00 David van Essen
12.00-13.00 Discussion

13:00-14:30 Lunch

June 25, 1998 -- Afternoon Session: Artificial Systems and Neuroscience

15.00-15.30 Nicholas Franceschini
15.30-16.00 Rodney Brooks
16.00-16.30 Heinrich Bulthoff
16.30-17.00 Coffee Break
17.00-17.30 Giulio Sandini
17.30-18.00 Werner von Seelen
18.00-18.30 Discussion

June 26, 1998 -- Morning Session: Analysis of Electrical Activity in the
Nervous System
9.00 - 9.30 Vincent Torre
9.30 -10.00 Henri Korn
10.00-10.30 Edmund Rolls
10.30-11.00 Coffee Break
11.00-11.30 Bill Bialek
11.30-12.00 Naftali Tishby
12.00-13.00 Discussion

13:00-14:30 Lunch

June 26, 1998 -- Afternoon Session: Brain Theories and Modelling

15.00-15.30 Horace Barlow
15.30-16.00 Misha Tsodkys
16.00-16.30 Daniel Amit
16.30-17.00 Coffee Break
17.00-17.30 Rodney Douglas
17.30-18.00 John Hopfield
18.00-19.00 Discussion

June 27, 1998 -- Morning Session

9.00 -12.00 Plenary discussion on Neuroinformatics

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INVITED DISCUSSANTS
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Peter Baumann, Valentino Braitenberg, Holk Cruse, Michel Cuenod,
Reinhard Eckhorn, Yves Fregnac, Karl Friston, Sten Grillner, Kuno
Kirschfeld, Dennis Le Bihan, David MacKay, Christoph v.d. Malsburg,
Ken Miller, Concetta Morrone, Hans Hellmut Nagel, Guenter Palm, Jaap
van Pelt, Tomaso Poggio, Idan Segev, Wolf Singer, Alex Thomson, Simon
Thorpe, Robert Turner, Leo van Hemmen, Miguel Virasoro

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REGISTRATION
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The registration fee of DM 230 includes lunches (June 24 -- June 26)
and coffee breaks. To register for the Workshop, sent a confirmation
(fax or e-mail) to Prof. Herz and transfer the registration fee to
account 3209-7570 (A.V.M.~Herz // Innovationskolleg) at the ``Berliner
Volksbank'' (bank routing number: 100-900-00). If space permits, please
add ``Workshop Neuroinformatics'' on the transfer form. If you prefer to
pay cash or with one of the major creditcards, you may do so when you
arrive in Potsdam. In that case however, we need a (personal) check over
(the equivalent of) DM 230 to secure your registration. Please send it
to Prof. Herz at the address given below. We will not cash the check and
you will get it back in Potsdam.

You are registered for the workshop once we have received your written
confirmation and the money transfer/check. We recommend to register soon
since interest in the workshop is high and attendance limited to 140
people including speakers.

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ACCOMODATION
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Hotel Voltaire offers a special rate of DM 165 (double: DM 204) per
night including breakfast. You should get in touch with the hotel
individually and do the booking -- fax: (49)-331-2317-500, phone:
(49)-331-2317-0. The code ``Workshop Neuroinformatics'' will give you
the special rate which is also valid for the days right before the
meeting in case you wish to come earlier.

If you want to stay at another hotel in Potsdam, the Potsdam Tourist
Office may be of help -- fax: (49)-331-293012, phone: (49)-331-275580.

We are trying to get additional funds to support students and postdocs
but we cannot guarantee that we will be successful. Thus we recommend
that postdocs or students apply for travel grants via local or European
organizations. Some information with this respect may be found on ENA's
homepage http://www.blackwell-science.com/uk/society/ena/

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FUNDS FOR STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS:
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We are trying to get additional funds to support students and postdocs
but we cannot guarantee that we will be successful. Thus we recommend
that postdocs or students apply for travel grants via local or European
organizations. Some information with this respect may be found on ENA's
homepage http://www.blackwell-science.com/uk/society/ena/

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Prof. Dr. Andreas Herz
Innovationskolleg Theoretische Biologie
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
FAX: +49-3--2093-8801
e-mail: a.herz@itb.biologie.hu-berlin.de

Prof. Dr. Vincent Torre
SISSA
Trieste
FAX: +39-40-2240-470
e-mail: torre@sissa.it

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