The Keith Worsley workshop on Computational Modeling of Brain Dynamics: from stochastic models to Neuroimages (09w5092)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "The Keith Worsley workshop on Computational Modeling of Brain Dynamics: from stochastic models to Neuroimages" workshop next week, June 14 - June 19, 2009.

Recent developments in brain imaging technology have provided a wealth of information about the detailed structure and function of the human brain, organized by the Human Brain Mapping Project in public domain databases similar to those of the Human Genome. Yet we are still far from understanding how the interactions of neurons organized into complex networks originate mental states and cognitive processes. A major stumbling block is that the sophisticated set of mathematical and physical models that have been developed to model neural activity, while explaining in a qualitative fashion some brain phenomena, have yet to be used to explain in detail the processes occurring in a given individuals brain and that are measurable using current neuroimaging methods. A complicating issue is the need for new types of statistical methods that are adequate to deal with the overwhelming amount of information provided by methods such as functional magnetic imaging and brain electrical tomography. This workshop will survey the current state of neural modeling and the Human Brain Mapping Project and will then examine recently available advances in numerical methods, large scale computation and statistical methods that can provide the necessary links to provide a more rapid advance in understanding normal brain function and its alterations in neurological and psychiatric diseases.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologí­a (CONACYT).