2015 Neuroethology: Behavior, Evolution, & Neurobiology Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are requested to support the 7th Gordon Research Conference and Seminar in Neuroethology, to be held June 27th -July 3rd, 2015 at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort, Lucca (Barga), Italy. Funds received from the NIH will be used solely to defray the travel and registration costs incurred by US-based students, postdocs, and other invited speakers who are junior, with preference being given to scientists from underrepresented groups. The GRC will be preceded by a two day Graduate Research Seminar organized by graduate students and postdocs for graduate students and postdocs. This innovative program will combine scientific presentations and mentoring to enhance the experience of younger scientists attending their first GRC. The quest to understand the biological principles that exquisitely adapt organisms to their environments and which allow them to solve complex problems, has led to unexpected insights into how similar problems can be solved technologically and are central to the recent BRAIN initiative. Recent cutting-edge advances in neuroethological research are revealing how animals sense their constantly changing environments and use this information neurally to control and steer complex behaviors, such as flight, walking and running, and navigating over great distances. The principles neuroethologists are uncovering showcase the enormous sophistication of natural sensors and actuators, the properties of which will invariably become highly desirable features of future autonomous surgical devices, robots and neural prosthetics that can aid in human movement and sensing due to disease or loss of sensory acuity. The 2015 GRC - whose title is The future is now: Innovative concepts in neuroethology and new technologies - aims to combine cutting-edge fundamental research in Neuroethology with the world's leading research in biomimetics and neuromorphic engineering, allowing an unparalleled forum for biologists and engineers to inspire and learn from each other in a small and collegial environment. Each session of the conference is designed to present the leading research in neuroethology with the latest advances in the fields of biorobotics and biomimetics, with the aim of inspiring the leading researchers in both fields. The program will include sessions on animal and machine locomotion and sensing, olfaction by animals and robots, and animal and machine navigation. In addition there will be several other sessions dealing with the evolution of brains, advances in technology, neural plasticity, emerging sensory modalities and computational neurobiology.