CVS SYMPOSIUM: PHOTONS AND NEURONS

描述（由申请人提供）：神经科学的一个基本目标是了解神经回路如何进行将原始感觉信号转化为行为的计算。目前的认识受限于记录清醒、有行为的生物体的神经活动的现有技术。在空间尺度范围的一端，微电极阵列提供了单个神经元活动的极好时间分辨率，但只能稀疏地采样局部神经元群。另一方面，功能性磁共振成像在空间和时间上的分辨率都很差，只能通过血流间接记录神经元活动。光学成像有望通过填补这一空白来彻底改变神经科学，并在完整的工作大脑中以单细胞分辨率提供微创、直接的神经活动记录。然而，神经活动的光学成像还没有实现在整个大脑结构（如大脑皮层）深处实时记录许多单个神经元活动的终极目标。实现这一目标需要来自不同背景的专家的协同努力，包括神经科学家、光学工程师、生物化学家和分子生物学家。很明显，需要把这些专家聚集在一起进行对话，这是定于2010年6月4日至6日在罗切斯特大学举行的视觉科学中心（CVS）第27届研讨会的中心动机，题为“光子和神经元”。目标是将开发和使用成像方法的科学家聚集在一起，提供一个交流思想的平台，确定紧迫的神经生物学问题，讨论当前的局限性，并制定可能的解决方案。个别会议将涵盖以下主题：（1,4）中枢神经系统电路成像，(2)光学成像的进展，(3)视网膜成像，(5)用光控制神经元。我们期待研讨会将吸引来自多学科的研究人员，从神经编码和灵长类神经生理学到光学工程和分子生物学。我们对吸引年轻的神经科学家和光学工程师特别感兴趣。为此，我们计划向有兴趣参加会议的研究生颁发10个旅行奖学金，并为他们提供在海报环节展示他们的工作的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand how neural circuitry carries out the computations that transform raw sensory signals into behavior. Current understanding is limited by available techniques for recording neural activity in awake, behaving organisms. At one end of the range of spatial scales, microelectrode arrays provide excellent temporal resolution of single neuron activity, but can only sparsely sample the local neuronal population. At the other end, functional magnetic resonance imaging has poor resolution in both space and time, and records neuronal activity only indirectly through blood flow. Optical imaging promises to revolutionize neuroscience by bridging this gap and offer minimally-invasive, direct recording of neural activity at single cell resolution in the intact working brain. Optical imaging of neural activity, however, has yet to deliver the ultimate prize of recording the activity of many individual neurons in real time throughout the depth of a brain structure such as the cerebral cortex. Achieving such a goal will require the coordinated effort of experts from disparate backgrounds, including neuroscientists, optical engineers, biochemists and molecular biologists. The obvious need to bring such experts together in dialogue is the central motivation for the 27th Symposium of the Center for Visual Science (CVS), entitled "Photons and Neurons", scheduled for June 4th- 6th, 2010 at the University of Rochester. The goal is to bring together scientists who develop and use imaging methods and provide a platform to exchange ideas, identify pressing neurobiological questions, discuss current limitations, and develop possible solutions. Individual sessions will cover the following topics: (1,4) Imaging CNS circuits, (2) Advances in Optical imaging, (3) Imaging the retina, (5) Controlling neurons with light. We expect that the Symposium will attract researchers representing multidisciplinary approaches ranging from neural coding and primate neurophysiology to optical engineering and molecular biology. We are particularly interested in attracting younger neuroscientists and optical engineers. To that end, we plan to award ten travel fellowships to graduate students interested in attending the meeting and provide them with an opportunity to present their work in a poster session. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Optical imaging of neural activity has yet to deliver the ultimate prize of recording the activity of many individual neurons in real time throughout the depth of a brain structure such as the cerebral cortex. Achieving such a goal will require the coordinated effort of experts from disparate backgrounds, including neuroscientists, optical engineers, biochemists and molecular biologists. The obvious need to bring such experts together in dialogue is the central motivation for the 27th Symposium of the Center for Visual Science (CVS), entitled "Photons and Neurons."