THE DYNAMIC BRAIN: MOLECULES MATHEMATICS AND THE MIND

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): Funds are requested to help support a meeting that is designed to promote integrated research in brain science. The conference will include prominent researchers from various fields of brain research to discuss major issues in brain function from an interdisciplinary perspective. The meeting will cover (Session 1) Plasticity of Sensory Systems; (Session 2) Temporal Dynamics from the Synaptic to the Systems Level; (Session 3) Memory, and finally (Session 4) the Relationships between Neurons and Cognition. A novel aspect of the meeting is a sincere attempt to bridge issues of brain function from the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms to their operation at the whole-organ level. Facilitators in every session will be charged with pursuing the challenges to solving the fundamental issues raised by the speakers. It is hoped that the initiatives identified by this meeting will catalyze novel interdisciplinary studies that will accelerate our understanding of normal and abnormal brain function. In addition, we hope to promote the idea of using interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the most challenging aspects of brain function, both to the current research community and to those who will become leaders in the future. Finally, by inviting and supporting minority students to the conference, we hope to increase their representation in the field.