ANNOUNCING NEW PROGRAM: Program in Mathematical and Computational Neuroscience (PNCM) at Boston University Co-Directors: Howard Eichenbaum and Nancy Kopell The Program in Mathematical and Computational Neuroscience will begin January 1, 2001, under the auspices of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The goal of PMCN is to facilitate the transition of a small and outstanding set of pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellows from the mathematical and physical sciences to a range of areas in neuroscience. Financial support for both PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows is available. The program features special seminars, mentoring by faculty and advanced trainees, and a dynamic and well-networked intellectual life provided by multiple supporting institutional modules. These include a new degree-granting Program in Neuroscience: Experimental and Computational Neuroscience (PIN-ECN; www.bu.edu/Neuro/ecn.html), the graduate program of the Biomedical Engineering department (BME; www.bme.bu.edu) and the Center for BioDynamics (CBD; www.cbd.edu).=20 Pre-doctoral fellows will enroll in one of two PhD programs (PIN or BME) that focus on the combination of experimental and computational neuroscience. Burroughs Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellows will design individualized programs that include neuroscience courses and one or more research projects that emphasize combined computational and experimental approaches to neuroscience. In addition, all fellows may participate in the CBD, which helps physical scientists and engineers to address research problems at the interfaces among mathematics, physics, biology and engineering.=20 The senior faculty of the PMCN and their research interests are: Laurel Carney (BME). Computational modeling, neurophysiology and behavioral studies of the auditory system with an emphasis on issues of temporal coding. Jim Collins (BME). Application of nonlinear dynamics to experimental work in human postural control, genetic engineering, and neurophysiology. Steve Colburn (BME). Computational modeling and psychophysical studies on sound localization. Paul Cook (Biology). Cellular electrophysiological properties of the retina, focusing on its ability to identify important spatial and temporal cues using multiple intra- and inter- cellular mechanisms. Howard Eichenbaum (Psychology). Physiology of cortical and hippocampal networks involved in memory processing, with a focus on building models of the fundamental cognitive mechanisms and coding properties of neural networks in these areas and their interactions. Kristen Harris (Biology). Cellular physiology and synaptic ultrastructure of the hippocampus, with computational issues arising from the impact of different types of synapses interacting on a particular cell or within a network. Michael Hasselmo (Psychology). Neuromodulatory regulation of dynamical states in cortical networks. Tasso Kaper (Math). Application of singular perturbation to problems arising in pattern formation, fluid mechanics, systems of mechanical oscillators, and neurophysiology. Nancy Kopell (Math). Dynamics of the nervous system, especially rhythmic networks of neurons and their functions in cognition and motor control. David Somers (Psychology). Functional MRI, psychophysical, and computational modeling studies of visual perception and attention. Chantal Stern (Psychology). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of cognition, with a focus on computational problems related to MR signal processing, image analysis, cortical modeling and surface reconstruction. Gene Wayne (Math). Qualitative solutions of partial differential equations arising in neurobiology John White (BME). Computational modeling and electrophysiology of cortical cells and networks. For further information see our website at pmcn.bu.edu or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Our mailing address is Program in Mathematical and Computational Neuroscience, C/o E. Grimes, Department of Mathematics, Boston University, 111 Cummington St., Boston MA 02215.=20
