We would like to remind you that the deadline to apply for our workshop - What is a neuron? - is due tomorrow, April 2nd!

The goal of this series is to take a fresh look at the basic assumptions held in our field.

In the first workshop, we will ask the most fundamental question: What is a neuron? What properties should a cell have to be defined as such? An answer to this question may seem obvious at first: it has to be a cell that uses electrical signals, is connected to other neurons by synapses, and has extended processes—axons and dendrites.

But the deeper we dig, the more challenging counterexamples we encounter: clearly non-neural cells using action potentials; neurons without axons or dendrites; or whole nerve nets in jellyfish that form a syncytium.  And what defines a neuron during development, and how do its developmental pathways differ from those of other cells? Can we draw clear boundaries between neural and non-neural states? 

Things are no easier in an artificial neural network: what exactly is a processing unit in an ANN? How does it correspond to a biological neuron, and what can we learn from these models?

The aim of this workshop is to look closely at different ways of defining a biological or artificial neuron and try to have a fresh look at our basic assumptions. 

This workshop will be held in the spirit of our Schools of Ideas—with an informal atmosphere, open exchange of thoughts and perspectives, in-depth talks, and plenty of space for discussion.

Speakers:

Clarisse Brunet (Institut Curie)
Thibaut Brunet (Institut Pasteur)
Bassem Hassan (Paris Brain Institute)
Fred Keijzer (University of Groningen)
Aneta Koseska (Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior)

Ines Samengo ( Instituto Balseiro)

The workshop will be held Jun 3-5th 2026 in Paris. Please find more info and the application form here - https://nenckiopenlab.org/neuron/

With best wishes,

Mateusz Kostecki