REU Site - Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

我们的目标是吸引在建模、成像或细胞生物学方面表现出天赋的、有数学天赋的大三和大四学生，并为他们提供1)现有和新兴神经成像模式的共同基础，以及随后从分析、合成和最终指导这些实验中产生的计算挑战；2)在一个有明确智力奖励（有大脑的人都对自己的大脑充满好奇）的研究领域中，在密切指导下体验发现的喜悦，并有可能对生物学、健康和数学领域产生更广泛的影响；3)在口头和书面科学交流的最佳实践中有共同的基础。我们的参与者将收到一封预先邮件，其中包括1)通用阅读文本，2)成像和建模教程，以及3)详细的项目描述。他们将花10周的时间学习辅导课，有充足的时间与我们在莱斯大学、贝勒医学院和休斯顿德克萨斯大学健康科学中心的导师进行互动。这将允许他们在第一周结束时做出明智的导师和项目选择。样本项目包括：1)记忆生化基础的数学建模；2)耳蜗力学的计算建模；3)警觉行为灵长类动物大脑皮层视觉信息处理的电生理、计算和功能成像方法；4)时间感知的神经机制。

We aim to attract a diverse pool of bright mathematically inclined rising juniors and seniors with demonstrated aptitude for modeling, imaging or cell biology and provide them with 1) a common grounding in existing and emerging neuro-imaging modalities and the subsequent computational challenges that arise from the analysis, synthesis and eventual guidance of such experiments, 2) a closely mentored experience of the joy of discovery in a field of research with clear intellectual reward (no one with a brain lacks in wonder of their brain) and potential for broader impact on the fields of biology, health, and mathematics, and 3) a common grounding in the best practices of oral and written communication of science.Our participants will receive an advance mailing comprising 1) a common reading text, 2) imaging and modeling tutorials, and 3) detailed project descriptions. They will spend the first of their 10 weeks in tutorials with ample time to interact with our mentor pool at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This will permit them to make an informed choice of mentor and project by the close of the first week. Sample projects include: 1) Mathematical modeling of the biochemical basis of memory, 2) Computational Modeling of Cochlear Mechanics, 3) Electrophysiological, computational and functional imaging approaches to processing of visual information in the cerebral cortex of alert behaving primates, and 4) Neural mechanisms of time perception.