The Institute for Applied Computational Science at Harvard University is hosting a one day Symposium: Brain + Machines on Friday, January 22, 2016 to explore the frontiers of neuroscience and computer science. Speakers will address the question “What are the implications of our attempts to reverse engineer the brain?” from different perspectives such as scientific research, mental health, ethical, economic, computer science, and technology. Confirmed Speakers Include: David Cox, Harvard University Nancy Kanwisher, MIT John Leonard, MIT Jeff Lichtman, Harvard University Francesca Rossi, University of Padova Andreas Tolias, Baylor College of Medicine R. Jacob Vogelstein, IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, US government) This symposium is free and open to the public.  Register Here. […]

Contributions to this post were made by Gregory Hager, Chair of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and Martin Weiner, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering Directorate at NSF.  Recently, the organizers of the CCC workshop on Research Interfaces between Brain Science and Computer Science were invited to present their workshop report at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Jack Gallant (UC Berkeley), Polina Golland (MIT) and Greg Hager (CCC Chair, JHU) gave the presentation and led surrounding discussions. The Research Interfaces between Brain Science and Computer Science workshop was held December 2014 in […]

The organizing committee for the Research Interfaces between Brain Science and Computer Science (BRAIN) have released their workshop report. This two-day workshop, sponsored by the Computing Community Consortium (CCC), brought together brain researchers and computer scientists for a scientific dialogue aimed at exposing new opportunities for joint research in the many exciting facets, established and new, of the interface between the two fields. Videos of the workshop presentations as well as the presentation slides are posted on the workshop website in the agenda. The reports suggests that the study of computing and the study of the brain interrelate in three ways, each suggesting a major research direction. First, the experimental study of brain architecture […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released a new multi-directorate program called Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems (NSF-NCS), which describes the first phase of NSF’s broader aim to foster innovation in cognitive science and neuroscience as part of the President’s BRAIN Initiative. NSF-NCS will support transformative and integrative research that will accelerate understanding of neural and cognitive systems. In December, the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) held a related workshop titled Research Interfaces between Brain Science and Computer Science. Over 70 computer scientists and neuroscientists from academia, industry, and government were in attendance and between 160-300 participants viewed each panel and plenary on the live-stream. All panels and plenary talks from the […]

Contributions to this post were made by Gregory Hager, Chair of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Early pioneers of computing such as Alan Turing, John Von Neuman and Herb Simon were fascinated by the possibility of computing opening a window into our understanding of the brain, and how understanding the brain might advance computing. A half century later, computing has made extraordinary progress, but much of the inner workings of the brain remain a mystery. Can we re-ignite the early promise of synergy between research on the human brain and computer science to the benefit of both fields? This […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and National Science Foundation (NSF) are sponsoring a workshop on the Research Interfaces between Brain Science and Computer Science.  Top researchers in computer science, cognitive science and neuroscience are stepping out of their comfort zones to engage in conversations on topics ranging from the varying levels of brain mapping to the need for studying graph algorithms for weighted large brain graphs. Plenary talks and panel discussions are being livestreamed. Tonight (December 4) at 7:30 pm EST, you can see Turing Award Winner Leslie Valiant talk on Can Models of Computation in Neuroscience be Experimentally Validated?   Tomorrow (December 5) there will be a Panel Discussion at […]