Candidate Directors for the 2017 Elections

Rui Ponte Costa

My research focuses on the development of statistical and computational frameworks to better understand the principles that underlie intelligent behaviour. In particular, I develop unifying models of neuronal learning and cortical networks grounded on experimental observations, which shed light on how the brain solves complex computational problems. I performed postdoctoral work at University of Oxford and University of Bern. Before that I did my PhD at the University of Edinburgh also in Computational Neuroscience. I have also organised research forums in the field. During my career I have developed strong collaborations with leading experimental and computational neuroscientists. From 2018 I will be starting my own lab as a lecturer at the University of Bristol, UK.

Motivation:

 OCNS is a unique organisation that fosters the exchange of ideas. By building on my experience in organising forums and collaborating with experimentalists and theoreticians, this position will allow me to improve and put to use my skills. But, more importantly, I will help shape the future of neuroscience and help close the gap between experimental and computational communities.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 2-3 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 2013.

Other information:

 I have organised two leading forums in computational neuroscience, first at University of Edinburgh (2011-2013) and later at University of Oxford (Neurotheory Forum, 2014-2017). I have also reviewed over 30 of papers for journals (e.g. Neuron, JNeurosci., Science, PLoS CB) and conferences (e.g. NIPS and ICRL) in the field, and have been invited for over 20 talks.

Peter Jedlicka

Already during my medical studies, I was more interested in physiological mechanisms and biophysics of cells and organs than clinical practice. Very early I also became interested in philosophical questions, e.g. whether it is possible to entirely reduce human cognition to neuronal computation. These interests brought me into the field of computational modeling. During my PhD, I created a model of chloride accumulation and diffusion in morphologically realistic dendritic trees and later, while being in an anatomy department in Frankfurt (Thomas Deller), I also did some experimental studies on synaptic plasticity and excitability in the hippocampus. Then I spent short time in Paris with Boris Gutkin (modeling chloride dynamics) and in Dunedin with Cliff Abraham and Luba Benuskova (measuring and modeling STDP and metaplasticity). After returning to Frankfurt, I was teaching anatomy, computational neuroscience and doing research. Because of the connection to anatomy and a collaboration with Hermann Cuntz, recently I have got interested in structural plasticity of dendrites. I attended the CNS meetings in Paris and Prague and enjoyed them very much. I am fascinated by computational neuroscience because it is a unique interdisciplinary field with links even to artificial intelligence and philosophy.

Motivation:

 My long term interest is to understand how the complex structure of neurons and dynamical intracellular signaling in dendrites and at synapses shape computations in the nervous system. Through my candidacy I want to support the OCNS because its meetings and activities are a great way to facilitate interdisciplinary approaches at the interface between experimental and computational neuroscience. By serving as an OCNS director I would like to help organize the CNS meeting and contribute to promoting the field of computational neuroscience. In the vibrant community of scientists belonging to or associated with the OCNS, I want to spread the enthusiasm for computational neuroanatomy and data-driven multiscale (subcellular, cellular and network) modeling.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 2-3 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 2013.

Other information:

 In Paris (CNS Meeting 2013) together with Fidel Santamaria I coorganized a workshop on "Computational Properties of Inhibitory Synapses". In Germany since 2016 I am participating in the SmartStart - The Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience as a faculty member. In 2014 I was a tutor in the Advanced Course for Computational Neuroscience (FIAS, Frankfurt).

William Lytton

I was trained as a neurologist in the BCN (before computational neuroscience) era, turning down MD-PhD opportunities since I couldn't find the emerging proto-CN. Following residency, I signed up with Terry Sejnowski for 5 years. I have been active in the field for ~30 years now! I wrote one of the early textbooks in the field: From Computer to Brain (2002). I continue to see patients, but my primary focus has always been reearch: detailed mechanistic multiscale modeling with applications to neurological and psychiatric disease. Although my work has focused on models with parts that are biologically identifiable and predictions that are (ideally) experimentally testable, I regard phenomenological descriptive models as a critical complement needed to provide explanatory power. ,

Motivation:

 OCNS has to navigate a difficult field of contending schools of thought and contending meetings including Cosyne, Bernstein and even NIPS. I believe that CNS's greatest strength is its close focus on the biology and would like to see it continue that focus.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended more than 5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since founding I think.

Other information:

 I have long advocated for funding for CN on panels for NIH, NSF, other agencies in US and abroad. I chaired the NIH NOIT panel which funded CN, and chaired a number of recent BRAIN study sections. At the request of NIH program staff, I co-authored on "brain theory for BRAIN" which helped inform RFAs and was cited in a BRAIN theory RFA (google ComputationalmodelingforUSBRAINinitiative_2.pdf). ,

Sharmila Venugopal

Assistant Adjunct Professor ,Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology ,University of California Los Angeles ,Los Angeles, CA ,USA , ,Education: ,Bachelor in Electrical Engineering ,Masters in Electrical Engineering ,Ph.D. in Neuroscience , ,Research areas: Computational Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Neural Engineering, Computational Biology, Neurodegeneration.

Motivation:

 I would like to help create a community that closely works with experimentalists and clinicians to enhance the visibility and impact of computational neuroscience research. This would involve creating opportunities for local and international meetings, fostering development of systematic training programs for next generation computational neuroscientists starting at the undergradaute level, and creating online platforms and forums for promoting use of models by experimentalists. I am also committed to enhancing diversity and participation of women and underrepresented minority in the activities of OCNS.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 2-3 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 2010.

Martin Zapotocky

Following undergraduate studies in Prague, I obtained a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. During a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University in 1999-2002, I got converted from a "pure" physicist into a biophysicist studying neural systems. In 2002-2008, I headed a small research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, in Dresden. Since my return to Prague in 2008, I have worked as senior scientist and deputy head in the Department of Computational Neuroscience at the Czech Academy of Sciences. Currently, my research focuses on two areas: (i) biophysical modeling of axon growth and circuit development, (ii) computational analysis of neuromechanical interactions in motor control.

Motivation:

 As the local organizer (jointly with Petr Marsalek) of the 2015 CNS Meeting in Prague, I know first-hand the challenges of running the yearly meeting and the importance of efficient support from the OCNS board. I wish to now use this experience to help implement the most productive format of future CNS Meetings, and to aid OCNS in substantially expanding its role beyond the yearly meeting.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 4-5 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 2013.