Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) auditorium
17 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA
>> Click here to register for the workshop

Image by iStockphoto.com/vertigo3d
The theme of this workshop is on bringing theory into the study of neural networks—those in brains and those in machines. We will soon have the capability to monitor activity and structure in the brain at unprecedented scales, but what will these data tell us? It is unlikely that we will gain insight without some theoretical framework to guide our thinking of what to look for, and why. Similarly, neural network models can now perform feats of language translation and pattern recognition far beyond what was possible a few years ago; but they have yet to shed new light on neurobiological mechanisms in part because there is only a limited theory of such computations.
What are likely candidates for such theories? do they already exist? and what is needed to more tightly integrate theoretical frameworks with empirical approaches?
Structure of the workshop
There will be four overview talks on Monday to introduce these questions, followed by five talks each on Tuesday and Wednesday. Attendance is open to all, but registration (using the link above) is mandatory.
There will also be poster sessions. If you are interested in presenting a poster please sign up HERE in addition.
Speakers
- Alessandra Angelucci (University of Utah)
- Dmitri “Mitya” Chklovskii (Simons Foundation)
- Carina Curto (Pennsylvania State University)
- Rob Fergus (New York University)
- Mark Goldman (UC Davis)
- Jackie Gottlieb (Columbia University)
- Dan Kersten (University of Minnesota)
- Alexei Koulakov (Cold Spring Harbor Lab)
- Wolfgang Maas (Technische Universität Graz)
- Adam Marblestone (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Gary Marcus (New York University)
- Stephanie Palmer (University of Chicago)
- Terrence Sejnowski (Salk Institute for Biological Studies)
- Murray Sherman (University of Chicago)
Organizers
- Bruno Olshausen (Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience)
- Fritz Sommer (Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience)
- Dmitri Chklovskii (Simons Foundation)
- David Eisenbud (MSRI)
- Gary Marcus (New York University)
- Christos Papadimitriou (University of California, Berkeley)
- Terrence Sejnowski (Salk Institute for Biological Studies)
Sponsors
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute
- Kavli Foundation
- Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
- Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing
- Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience
>> Click here for more information and to register for the workshop