Training in theoretical and computational approaches to neural circuits of cognition

NIH RePORTER · NIH · T32 · $326,216 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Through a coordinated program of research, mentoring, coursework, and partnerships, we will train a cohort of students and postdoctoral fellows who will become leaders in interdisciplinary, computational research that advances central questions in the cellular and circuit basis of cognition. We will foster a community of trainees equipped with a skillset that unites fundamentals of neurobiology, mathematics, scientific computing, and equips them to engage in real dialogue and innovation across fields using collaborative and reproducible approaches. The projects undertaken by trainees in this research program will directly address key questions relevant to the NIH's mission including: the study and advancement of theoretical and computational models that describe how information processing arises from dynamics of neurons and their networks, the study and advancement of the analysis of multi-modal, high- dimensional neural data, and the investigation of complex neural circuit dynamics and function in health and disease. Each trainee will receive joint research mentorship between a leading computational and experimental neuroscientist at UW, thus gaining the skills and experience to ensure that their computational work occurs within a virtuous cycle that allows theory to further drive novel experiments. We will expand the scope of the computational neuroscience community by recruiting from underrepresented groups, building bridges across departments and schools, and connecting trainees with emerging opportunities within and beyond academia. We will admit up to three students and two new postdoctoral fellows each year for a two-year period, training up to 13 students and 9 new postdocs in total over the course of the program. Trainees will have backgrounds in the computational, biological, and mathematical sciences.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10885916
Project number
5T32MH132518-02
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Principal Investigator
Elizabeth A Buffalo
Activity code
T32
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$326,216
Award type
5
Project period
2023-08-01 → 2028-06-30