Comprehending and modelling the workings of the animal brain

真正理解大脑是如何运作的是21世纪神经科学的一大挑战。这一目标的进展可以通过研究小脑动物，如蜜蜂来实现。该项目旨在使用显微镜和药理学来分析蜜蜂学习和分类复杂事物的神经机制。这将使构建蜜蜂大脑决策的计算模型成为可能。分析这个模型将检验我们对动物大脑运作的了解，以及如何模拟它。该项目旨在揭示神经回路是如何做出复杂决策的；为理解更大更复杂的大脑建立关键原则和基础研究，并产生机器学习的新方法。

Truly understanding how the brain operates is a grand challenge of 21st century neuroscience. Progress toward this goal can be made through studying small-brained animals, like the honey bee. This project aims to use microscopy and pharmacology to analyse the neural mechanisms by which bees learn and classify complex things. This will enable the construction of a computational model of decision making in the bee brain. Analysing this model will test what is understood about the operation of the animal brain, and what simulates it. This project aims to reveal how neural circuits make complex decisions; establish key principles and foundational studies for comprehending larger more complex brains, and yield new approaches to machine learning.