»"Theorizing and Modeling in Neuroscience" Conference

Chapman University presents a conference on the topic of "Theorizing and Modeling in Neuroscience". This interdisciplinary conference aims at exploring various theoretical and modeling approaches in today’s neurosciences, with a focus on cognitive neuroscience and systems neuroscience. The conference will gather experts in cognitive, computational and theoretical neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy of neuroscience, who will collectively discuss how these various approaches originated, how they are currently developing, the extent to which they are compatible, and, crucially, how they could be combined into more comprehensive theoretical frameworks.

The conference is partnership between Chapman's Schmid College of Science and Technology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the Doctor of Science in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics program, and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences. It is co-organized by Chapman faculty members Marco Panza, Thomas Pradeu, Michael Ibba, Uri Maoz, and Aaron Schurger.

Attend the Conference


The conference takes place from January 16 - 17, 2025. All conference events will take place at Chapman University in Argyros Forum Boardroom 212 unless otherwise noted, and the talks may be viewed live via Zoom at the following link:

https://chapman.zoom.us/j/97819217405 
Meeting ID: 978 1921 7405
Passcode: 02051914

There is no registration fee to attend this conference, but we ask that you please inform us that you will attend by submitting the form below. Click here for a downloadable flyer for the event.

Agenda


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Thursday, January 16, 2025

8:15 - 9:15am

Coffee and Breakfast
Argyros Forum 201

9:15 - 9:30am

Michael Ibba, Chapman University
Introductory Remarks

Session 1: Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence

9:30 - 10:30am

James L. McClelland, Stanford University
“Comparing Human and Artificial Intelligence: Functions, Computations, and Architectures”

10:30 - 11am

Coffee Break
Argyros Forum 201

Session 2: Beyond the Brain

11am - 12pm

Sarkis Mazmanian, California Institute of Technology
“The Gut Microbiome Modulates Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease Models”

12 - 1pm

Michael Levin, Tufts University
“Neuroscience Beyond Neurons: How Somatic Bioelectricity Implements an Unconventional Intelligence”

1 - 2pm

Lunch
Argyros Forum 201

Session 3: Social and Emotional Perspectives

2 - 3pm

Carolyn Parkinson, University of California, Los Angeles
“The Brain in the Social World: Integrating Approaches from Neuroscience, Psychology and Social Network Analysis”

3 - 4pm

Ralph Adolphs, California Institute of Technology
“Functionalism, Emotion, and the Brain”

4 - 4:30pm

Coffee Break
Argyros Forum 201

Session 4: Neuroimaging Signals and their Meaning

4:30 - 5:30pm

Uri Maoz, Chapman University
"A Spiking-Neural-Network Model for Slow Ramping in the Human Brain"

5:30 - 6:30pm

Adina L. Roskies, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Inference in Neuroimaging and the Problem of Cognitive Ontology”

7pm

Dinner
O SEA
109 S Glassell St, Orange, CA 92866

Friday, January 17, 2025

8:15 - 9:15am

Coffee and Breakfast
Argyros Forum 201

Session 5: Neural Circuit Models

9:15 - 10:15am

Jean Petitot, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
"Geometrical Models for the Functional Architecture of the Visual Area V1"

10:15 - 11:15am

William Newsome, Stanford University
"Dynamical Systems as Mechanistic, Explanatory Models in Neuroscience"

11:15 - 11:45am

Coffee Break
Argyros Forum 201

Session 6: Memory

11:45am -
12:45pm

Michael A. Yassa, University of California, Irvine
"Episodic Memory in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease”

12:45 - 1:45pm

Lunch
Argyros Forum 201

Session 7: Perception

1:45 - 2:45pm

Megan Peters, University of California, Irvine
“Towards Quantifying Qualitative Experience: Introspective Psychophysics”

2:45 - 3:45pm

Aaron Schurger, Chapman University
“Transient Stability in Attractor Networks as a Mechanism for Perceptual Decision Making”

3:45 - 4:15pm

Coffee Break
Argyros Forum 201

Session 8: Causality

4:15 - 5:15pm

Lauren N. Ross, University of California, Irvine
“The Circuit Concept in Neuroscience: Causation, Constraints, and Computation”

5:15 - 6:15pm

Frederick Eberhardt, California Institute of Technology
“Causal Modeling in Neuroscience”

6:30pm

Reception with Hors d’Oeuvres and Champagne
Argyros Forum 201

Contact Us


For more information about the conference, please contact:

Marco Panza
MPP Program Director
panza@chapman.edu

Lisa Beesley
MPP Program Coordinator
beesley@chapman.edu