Neural circuits - Application of system identification tools to neural circuits

From 01-10-2012 to 31-12-2015
Website: http://www.nerf.be/EN/NERF_Yaksi_Lab/default.aspx

Description

Since long, the operation of brain activity has intrigued mankind and while large leaps were taken, its true mechanisms still holds many secrets. Previous studies focused on studying and modelling single neurons or convoluted signals of high level brain activity such as EEG or fMRI.

In this project we will use two-photon calcium imaging, a novel technology that allows monitoring the activity of large networks of neurons with high spatio-temporal resolution and single neuron precision. Our goal is to apply system identification tools to the complex dynamics of brain activity and gain deeper understanding into the function of neural circuits by modellingtheir behaviour using novel mathematical methods.

The brain has tremendous efficiency in the way it compresses, processes and stores data. By modelling these mechanisms, we aim to learn from the brain and in the future bring these techniques into the technological domain to aid in the automatic processing of the ever increasing streams of data that are generated in today's world.

This interdisciplinary project aims to unite the strengths of ESAT-SCD and NERF, seeding interactions between engineers and neuroscientists in Flanders and deploying this crossfertilization to promote the exploration of novel ideas and approaches in understanding dynamical systems.

Team

• Emri Yaksi, Co-promoter (External)
• Oscar Mauricio Agudelo Manozca, Coordinator
• Bart De Moor, Promoter
• Inge Thijs, Team member
• Philippe Dreesen, Team member
• Nico Verbeeck, Team member
• Carmen Diaz Verdugo, Team member

Financing

Funding: FWO - Research Foundation - Flanders

Program/Grant Type: FWO Research Grant - FWO Research Grant