who: David Moorman, UMass Amherst
when: noon, Thursday, March 23
where: Computer Science Building Rm 150
food: Antonio’s pizza
generous sponsor: ORACLE LABS

Making Sense Of Neuron Ensembles: Advances And Issues In Neural Coding

Abstract: The brain contains approximately 80 billion neurons, and any perception, behavior, or thought requires the integration across thousands to millions of these neurons. Advances in neural technology now allows us to monitor the activity of hundreds to thousands of neurons simultaneously, in real time. Although we are able to collect rich data sets, our ability to interpret them, and to use this information to explain behavior, is still limited.

In this talk I will give an overview of issues surrounding neural encoding with a focus on what remains to be done to make sense of this complex information. I will also discuss some of our own research, but my main goal will be to identify problems in neuroscience that could be better addressed with advanced computation and analysis, potentially even by interested members of the UMass community.

Bio: David Moorman is an Assistant Professor in Psychological and Brain Sciences at UMass Amherst. His lab studies neural systems involved in motivation and cognition, and how these systems are disrupted in psychiatric disorders. More information can be found at: moormanlab.org