Dear Colleagues,
After the hiatus of the pandemic, I am pleased to announce that the 9th edition of the Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience (LASCON 2024) will take place January 8 - February 2, 2024 at the NeuroMat Center in the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
LASCON aims at introducing young researchers and graduate and advanced undergraduate students to the use of computational and mathematical methods for modeling neurons and neural networks. The following topics will be covered:
single-cell models (biophysically detailed, reduced and simplified), circuit and network models of biophysically detailed and simplified spiking neurons, probabilistic neuronal models, synaptic plasticity and learning, spike train analysis, neural population models, neuron-glia interaction models, models of extracellular fields, brain criticality, computational psychiatry, traveling waves in neural systems, and dynamics of neuronal functional connectivity. These subjects will be taught via theoretical classes and hands-on tutorials with the use of the programs NEURON, NetPyNE, NEST, Brian, The Virtual Brain and others. Students will have to work on small research projects (to be done in groups of two), which they will present orally at the end of the school.
The following lecturers will be in charge of theoretical classes and tutorials:
Aline Duarte, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
Arnd Roth, University College, London, UK
Christophe Pouzat, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Demian Battaglia, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
Fabio M. Simoes de Souza, Federal University of ABC, Sao Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, Norway
German Mato, Bariloche Atomic Center, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, Norway
Horacio Rotstein, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
John Murray, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Junji Ito, Juelich Research Center, Juelich, Germany
Lyle Muller, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
Mauricio Girardi-Schappo, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil
Mauro Copelli, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
Sonja Gruen, Juelich Research Center, Juelich, Germany
Tilo Schwalger, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Valeriy Bragin, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA
William Lytton, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA
The number of students is limited to 40 and applications should be made electronically via the application form in the school's web page (
www.sisne.org/lascon-ix). Applicants are also requested to submit a detailed CV (in English) and to provide two letters of recommendation.
The application deadline is October 14, 2023 (until midnight, US Pacific time).
There is no registration fee for the school. Depending on available funding, the school organization may provide free accommodation for students not from the Greater Sao Paulo area. Travel costs will have to be covered by the students. Sao Paulo is the major transportation hub in South America, so it is possible to fly from basically anywhere in the world to its airports.
In the selection procedure, priority will be given to Latin-American students, but students from other parts of the world are encouraged to apply as well.
LASCON 2024 is an activity of the FAPESP Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat -
http://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/).
I am looking forward to see you in Sao Paulo.
Best regards,
Antonio Roque
LASCON Director