Laboratory for Computational Neuroscience

数学和数值模型在我们理解神经系统的生物物理过程中起着非常重要的作用。随着高速图形工作站和用于描述复杂动力系统的新的数学和数值方法的出现，神经科学中的许多难题现在可以解决。再加上实验神经生物学数据的爆炸式增长，这些新的发展导致了计算神经科学领域的迅速发展，它代表了一个相互关联的学科的显著联盟：神经生物学、计算机科学、生物化学、人工智能、分子生物学、数学、心理学、物理学和哲学。该项目为卫斯理大学计算神经科学实验室奠定了基础。由于新的计算机技术和描述复杂系统的新的理论和数值方法，这个令人兴奋的跨学科领域应该既容易接近又吸引本科生。拟议的设施将为从单个神经元的电生理行为到神经网络活动的时空模式的神经生物学过程建模的本科课程和研究机会提供基础。此外，这些设施还将用于进一步发展计算科学其他跨学科领域的课程和研究项目。

Mathematical and numerical models play a very important role in our understanding of biophysical processes in the nervous system. With the advent of high-speed graphics workstations and new mathematical and numerical methods for describing complex dynamical systems, many difficult problems in neuroscience can now be addressed. Coupled with the explosion in experimental neurobiological data, these new developments have lead to the emergence of the rapidly growing field of computational neuroscience which represents a remarkable coalition of interrelated disciplines: neurobiology, computer science, biochemistry, artificial intelligence, molecular biology, mathematics, psychology, physics, and philosophy. The project lays the foundation for a Laboratory for Computational Neuroscience at Wesleyan University. Because of the new computer technologies and new theoretical and numerical methods for describing complex systems, this exciting interdisciplinary field should be both accessible and appealing to undergraduate students. The proposed facility will provide the foundation for both undergraduate courses and research opportunities in the modelling of neurobiological processes from the electrophysiological behavior of single neurons to the spatio-temporal patterns of activity in neural networks. In addition, these facilities will also be available for the further development of courses and research projects in other interdisciplinary areas of computational science.