NeuroBridges 2018
A Mediterranean, Middle Eastern Summer School in Neuroscience
Course Date: October 2-12, 2018
Venue: Cluny, France
Deadline to apply: May 15, 2018
Computational neuroscience has played a pivotal role in the development of brain research in the last three decades. However, until rather recently, it has been possible to put only a small number of many of the abstract computational theories to experimental tests because of experimental limitations. The situation is now changing. Over the last decade, the combination of new genetic and optical technologies enables the simultaneous recording and stimulation of neural systems with an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution in the living brain. A major goal of this school is to serve as bridge between experimental and theoretical neuroscientists addressing system-level questions.
We believe that researchers also have a responsibility to promote common understanding between people from different nations. Therefore, another objective of Neurobridges is to bring together Mediterranean and Middle Eastern scientists, in order to promote international scientific cooperation between young researchers from these countries. The organizers of NeuroBridges are convinced that such scientific collaborations can lead to personal relations, which eventually may alleviate the political distress in the Middle East.
The two first events of the series took place in Goettingen, Germany in July 2014 and in Paris, France, in September 2015. Each of these three days events brought together twenty young speakers, Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians and Israelis, as well as several speakers from the hosting countries. Nobel Laureate Erwin Neher opened NeuroBridges in 2014. Stanislas Dehaene, professeur au College De France and member of the French Academy of Sciences gave the opening lecture in NeuroBridges 2015.
NeuroBridges 2017 was a ten days summer school, bringing together students from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, including France, Iran, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Morocco and Syria.
NeuroBridges2018 will be a nine days summer school. Students will attend lectures delivered by a group of leading neuroscientists, experimentalists as well as theoreticians, which will address the fundamental questions of contemporary neuroscience. In addition to the lectures, the students will work in groups on small research projects.
The school is intended for graduate students and postdocs, primarily from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region either working in their home countries or abroad. We will consider applicants with some background in applied mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering or physics, interested in theoretical brain and cognitive sciences. We will also consider those with biological or medical background given that they show proof of basic mathematical knowledge (i.e. linear algebra, calculus, in particular ordinary differential equation).
Through the online application system, you will be asked to provide personal details, academic background, a motivation letter that should include a paragraph about your quantitative skills and a CV. In addition, we request two recommendation letters.
The school will take place between October 2 and October 12, 2018 in Le Centre de Conferences Internationales de Cluny (CCIC). Cluny is a small medieval town in Burgundy, France, located about 400km southeast of Paris (accessible by fast train, TGV).
All costs of registration and accommodation will be covered by the organizers. A limited number of travel grants will also be available.
NeuroBridges is co-organized by Ahmed El Hady (Princeton Neuroscience Institute, USA), Yonatan Loewenstein (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) and David Hansel (CNRS, Paris, France).
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